A Twist In Time
by Lady Kathryne
Summary: Bella wakes up in the hospital after the incident with Tyler, having hit her head on a thick patch of ice in the parking lot. She's lived an entire lifetime inside her mind while she's been unconscious. She saves a life or two and falls in love and above all, learns from her mistakes and leaves well enough alone when it comes to Edward Cullen. AU. OOC, and language.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**:

All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners- namely Stephenie Myers… lucky, lucky woman. Everything else came from my own mind- scary as it is sometimes.

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**Prologue**

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Bella moaned and opened her eyes, shooting up in the bed she where she found herself laying. She felt regret roll through her. The room was too bright. She moved a hand to the back of her throbbing head and hissed in pain. She felt so confused. She felt warm to the touch and her eyes looked brown- judging by the look in the mirror across from her. Her wrist was scar free, she was **hungry**, and she had been **asleep**. Last time she checked, vampires didn't sleep.

The sound alerted one of the nurses to her and she drew back the curtain with a smile on her lips. "Hello, Ms. Swan. How do you feel?"

"Like an elephant has been doing ballet on my skull." Bella huffed without thinking. The fact that she'd been called 'Ms. Swan' didn't even register in her mind- at least not at first.

The nurse chuckled. "Well, that tends to happen after such a nasty fall on the ice. You're lucky you didn't break your skull open." She muttered.

"Fall on the ice?" She blinked in confusion.

The nurse shot her a look and frowned. "Do you not remember?"

Beside them, Tyler heard that and whimpered. "Oh wow… you're dad is gonna kill me! Bella I'm so sorry!"

"That will be enough, Mr. Crowley, there's no damage done. Much at least." The nurse told him.

Bella frowned and tried to remember. "What happened Tyler?"

"You hit your head on the ice. My truck went out of control in the parking lot at school. I thought I'd killed you!" He told her before his voice cracked.

Bella gasped. "Oh wow. I don't remember anything."

"I'm so sorry. I think I damaged your truck too. I'll pay for any repairs you need to have done though!" He promised.

Bella shook her head and then moaned again when she moved too fast. "I don't think you hurt it. That thing is a tank. It's one of the reasons my dad got it for me." She said with a small smile.

A throat clearing drew their conversation to a lull. Carlisle Cullen walked over to the two teens. "Hello. I'm Dr. Cullen. How do you both feel? I heard you had quite the adventure today."

Bella gasped. Her now apparent dream came rushing back to her. It appeared to be just a hallucination of her mind after hitting her head. She smiled when he walked over to her. "Hello."

"How's your head doing?" He asked flashing his light pen into her eyes.

She jumped when his hands contacted her skin. "It's better."

"Sorry, occupational hazard of working in a hospital." Carlisle smiled.

Bella nodded, apparently accepting his explanation. "You sure it's not from something else?"

He froze for a second. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Some other reason for you to be so cold?" She prodded.

"I'm afraid I still don't follow your line of questioning Ms. Swan." He told her.

Without warning, she had a hold of his wrist where his pulse point should have been. She gasped and looked at him with shocked wonder. "I knew it wasn't just a dream." She whispered.

"Ms. Swan… how did you know?" He asked.

Bella smiled. "For now, it's enough to know that I know what you are, and I promise you I won't tell a soul. I'd like to be a friend to your family... if it's alright."

Carlisle frowned in thought. "Ms. Swan, that's a dangerous thing to ask of us. We're… different as I'm sure you've figured out by now."

"At least tell your kids that I've offered my friendship?" She asked him.

He smiled at her. "I'll pass along the message. However, it's up to them if they wish to pursue any kind of friendship or not."

Bella nodded. "I understand. Somehow I think it might be easier to get along than you would think."

Anything Carlisle might have said was cut off by Charlie Swan rushing into her room. "Bella! Oh god, you're awake! You had me so worried when they called me to say you were here!"

"I'm fine dad. I just hit my head on the ice." She promised him. She tried to hide the tears of shock at seeing him again- at the second chance to have him in her life.

Tyler whimpered beside her. "I'm sorry Chief Swan! I forgot to put my snow chains on last night! My tires skidded on some ice in the parking lot! I lost control!"

"You hush. We'll talk later, son." He said shutting the curtain to his bed.

"Dad! Don't be so mean. I'm fine. Nothing happened." She told him in a huff.

Charlie rolled his eyes. He turned and shook hands with Carlisle. "How is she Carlisle?"

Carlisle offered him a bemused smile. "She appears to be fine. Some minor swelling at the back of her head. But she doesn't appear to have a concussion. I would, however, recommend that she stays awake until bed time. We don't want to take any chances. And ice for her head will take care of the swelling. She should be fine to drive in the morning." He told him.

Charlie sighed in relief. "I've got Jake taking a look at your truck, Bells. There were only a few dents in it. But I want to be on the safe side. He's at the house now with Billy…"

Bella nodded and hid her shock rather well. The last time she'd seen Jacob, he'd imprinted on her daughter. "Can we go?" She asked sounding too eager.

"Oh, of course. Let me sign your discharge papers and you'll be free to leave." Carlisle said with a gentle smile on his lips.

Bella nodded and then moaned in pain. "Not smart." She muttered.

Charlie sighed and shook his head, his lips twitching in amusement. "Well, when you do it, you do it, don't you Bells?" He teased.

She pretended to glare at her dad. She was so amazed she had a second chance with him. This time around- after having that awful dream of how she lost herself and how she treated him- she swore she'd treat him better. This time, she'd not be so aloof. With that vow made, she stood and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She hid her grin in his chest when she felt him tense.

"I love you daddy." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear it. "I'm sorry I stopped coming to see you."

"Hey… it's alright. I'll just chalk it up to you being a teenager, shall I?" He teased.

Carlisle cleared his throat, having heard everything while pretending not have. He held her discharge papers out to them and watched them walk away and shook his head. Somehow, Bella Swan knew what he was, and he was sure that meant she knew that his entire coven- his family- was about to become the center of a hail storm of trouble. He wasn't sure if he welcomed the fact or if he should be wary of it. Either way… things were about to change- for better or worse, he wasn't so sure of yet.


	2. Chapter 1

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**Chapter 1**

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As much as Bella wanted to change some things, she didn't to rock the boat too much. She'd never been one to stand out and make herself noticed if she could help it. She'd always done things from the sidelines. Changing some of the aspects of her 'dream self' was the first step in changing the person she would be now. It seemed that the fates, or divine spirits, even God himself had gifted her with a second chance. She wasn't going to waste it either.

Even though she knew about the Cullens being vampires, she didn't distance herself from them. She kept a safe and firm distance from Edward while she fell into easy friendships with his 'siblings.' She allowed him to talk to her, but never looked into his eyes for fear he would enthrall her the way he had in her dream. Edward had tried to push for more, but she put him in his place each time, much to the amusement of his siblings. He tolerated her friendship but always let it be known he wanted more from her. For her part, she remained a friend to the entire family- despite Edward's advances.

She'd grown a backbone and told them what she liked and didn't like this time around, much to Carlisle and Esme's amusement. Her clothes were her own choice, her music was hers, her diet was her own, her CHOICES were her own. This time around, they appeared to respect that Bella knew what she wanted.

She'd grown closer to her father as a result of her new lease on life. They had a better bond now between them than she had had with her own mother- and she loved her mother a great deal. She spent one weekend every month now going fishing with him- and Billy and Harry by default. Those relationships too had grown stronger. Bella found that Charlie had named Billy her god father if something were to ever happen to him, and she wasn't upset by it either.

Her relationships with her friends at school were better now too- regardless of how much Edward told her about their 'impure thoughts.' Mike was still Mike, he still flirted with her every chance he got… Jessica and Lauren proved to be just as two faced as they were in her dream, but it didn't bother her in the least. Angela, Eric, and even Ben had become close to her though. They'd been there when she and Edward hadn't gotten along at the start of the school year, they'd been there to listen when Alice threw her a surprise party like she hadn't asked and they'd also been there when the family had 'moved' after her 'accident.'

Something else that had gone different than her dream.

She and Jacob- though it was frowned upon by Edward- were closer too than they had been in her dream. She had made sure he knew they were friends from the beginning and Jacob, for all his teenage wisdom, had gotten over his crush more smooth and easy than she cared to admit liking. Quil and Embry too had become close to her- before Embry abandoned them at least.

Bella knew what had happened though, had known for a long time. She also knew that Victoria would be causing the pack to phase and change. She sighed and rubbed the bite mark on her wrist.

The Butterfly Effect. She snorted. Same things happening in different ways. It would become her window into the wolf pack when the time came.

The Cullens never took her to a baseball game with them. Bella had been driving on her way home from school when she caught sight of James walking down the side of the road- though she didn't recognize him at the time due to the different outfit and baseball hat hiding most of his face.. He looked like a normal man.

She mused that his car had broken down and pulled over to offer aide. She never saw the pleased glint in his eyes through the rear view mirror. It was a blur as he moved behind her when she was out of her truck. His red eyes bore into hers causing her heart to hammer in her chest.

She had lied well and bought some time- even after Laurent had shown himself and urged him to hurry and feed. Alice had seen it, therefore the entire coven was by her side. What they didn't take into account was how James would react when cornered. To him, Bella was their pet- either to be turned or bled; he chose the later and sunk his fangs into her wrist. His mate Victoria watched in horror as James sent Laurent to find Victoria before the coven ripped him apart.

The redhead swore her vengeance on Bella Swan then and there. She kept her knowledge of the wolf pack and Victoria locked away. She could only pray that those involved believed in her for a second time.

She of course knew the wolves would be upset. She'd heard the tail end of a few harsh words thrown her way the last time she'd been on the beach with her friends just after Jacob and Embry stopped talking to her. It wouldn't be too much longer before Quil, Seth- even Collin and Brady would phase. Leah had been spared… she'd left and not looked back after she'd graduated… Sam's betrayal had still been too fresh in her mind for her to stay.

Another change to her second life.

She found herself staring out the window sometimes, wondering how easy it would be to slip back into her old life. She missed the Cullens. She often thought of what they'd be doing now, where they'd be. Would they try and fit in with another human? Would Alice be as bubbly to another girl with brown curly hair as she had been with Bella? But then she remembered, she had friends who would mourn her death too much. Death wasn't worth it to her this time around anymore.

"Hey, Bella, you ok?"

Bella smiled. Angela had pulled her from her thoughts again. "Yeah.. I guess I'm just distracted. Jake is still sick."

Angela smiled in sympathy. "Have you tried to talk to him?"

"Yeah, I called him. He sounded awful though. I told him if he wanted I'd bring him something to make him feel better, but he said he didn't want me sick too."

Angela nodded. "Well, that makes some sense. At least he's still talking to you. Ben and Eric refuse to talk to me when they get sick."

"Yeah, I'm just hoping he'll be ok soon." She said knowing what was wrong.

Angela nodded. She looked at the clock and then at their nearly finished homework. "Hey, how about we go see a movie or something? I mean, we're both distracted at the moment. And we've been working hard these past few weeks. Besides, something tells me it's not just Jacob on your mind."

"How'd you get so perceptive?" Bella teased.

Angela shrugged. "I look after my brothers. I have to be on my toes with them." She laughed.

"I guess I still miss the Cullens.. I was close with them. I haven't heard from them since they moved." She sighed.

Angela placed her hand on top of Bella's and smiled. "Time heals all wounds. I know it's not what you want to hear, but, it's the truth Bella. It's only been a few months. You guys spent a lot of time together- even if you didn't date Edward like he wanted. Lets go out and catch a movie in Port Angeles or something to take your mind off of things. I mean it's the weekend and we're doing nothing but studying. I can call Ben and Eric if you want to have them tagging along too."

Bella smiled and looked at the clock. If she went out to see a movie now, she'd have enough time to come home and make some spaghetti for dinner. She voiced her agreement and sent Charlie a text.

"Let me just call my dad."

"Hey, no… go ahead. I'm gonna run upstairs real quick. I need to change into something more.. Decent or I'll never hear the end of it." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Angela smiled and nodded. "Ok. It won't take long to let my dad know where we're going." She promised before dialing her number.

Bella changed into a pair of form fitting jeans, a long sleeved ice blue tee shirt with a sweetheart neckline and a pair of comfortable, worn in sneakers. She grabbed a black ACDC hoodie from the back of her desk chair and had to pause and inhale it, a smile tugging at her lips. The hoodie belonged to Jacob and at the moment, it was a source of comfort for her. She was down the stairs in a matter of minutes with a smile at the ready while she waited patiently for Angela to hang up her phone with her dad.

She rushed down the stairs and chuckled when she saw a message from her dad. He told her to have fun and it would be his treat at the diner when the movie ended. He told her she'd been working too hard and needed a break.

"Well I'm glad to know that my dad appreciates my hard work." Bella mused.

Angela smiled. "Your dad loves you. Anyone can see that. The chief is a good man."

"I know he does. I love him too. I feel so bad sometimes for those summers where I told him I didn't want to come and visit. It's time I can never get back with him." She said with a sigh.

"Oh Bella. Don't be so hard on yourself. You've told me about your mom. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. Besides, from what I hear, you've already made up for it. You even learned to fish just to spend more time with him once a week. You're not a bad person, Bella."

Bella smiled. "How'd I get such a good friend like you Angela?"

Angela giggled. "You said hello when I started talking to you last year, remember?"

"Oh is that all?"

Angela smirked. "It could be that I'm one of the few people you know who doesn't pry into your business too. Other than Eric and Ben." She teased.

"Speaking of which… they coming with us?" She wondered.

"OH! I forgot to ask them. Hold on a sec!" Angela grinned before sending them both a text message. Her fingers flew over the keypad of her phone as she asked them if they were busy and if they weren't, would they want to go with her and Bella to see a movie.

"I think it's going to be just you and me. Ben didn't answer and Eric is still sick. Poor guy." Angela sighed.

Bella smiled and patted her hand. It took no less than ten minutes for them to pull into Angela's driveway and another five before Angela was ready to go. She was an organized person, the same as Bella, and found what she needed while avoiding her brothers and saying goodbye to her mom in the process.

"You girls have fun. Stay safe!" Angela's mom called from the door.

Bella and Angela climbed into her truck and smiled. They waved back and without another backwards glance were off to Port Angeles. Bella found it relaxing to share things with friends who were normal. It left her humbled to see that life didn't revolve around the supernatural like she had seen happen in her dream. Their drive was quiet, save for the radio playing soft in the background. It gave Bella a chance to think about how much had changed outside of her dream, and how pleased she was with the outcome of it.

"Oh wow... He looks good enough to eat!" Angela muttered.

Bella looked up and saw Jared and Paul standing by the movie theatre when she pulled to a stop in the parking lot. Her mouth hung open when she saw Embry and Jacob standing in line to buy tickets. She shook her head when she saw Jared fidget and avoided looking at Paul all together.

"Bella, isn't that Jacob?" Angela asked.

Bella sighed. She knew this too had to happen, but it would be no less fun. "It is."

"Wow… he looks so... different." She mused.

Bella nodded. "He does, doesn't he?"

Angela smiled and wrapped her hand around Bella's once they were out of the truck, showing her silent support. Bella was grateful for it. She needed it at the moment. The shock and guilt on Jacob's face only made it that much harder to look at him while they waited in line to pay for their tickets.

"You gonna say anything to him?" Angela pressed in her quiet way.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know if there's anything to say. He looks better to me. If he wanted me to know about it he would have said something." She said with a shrug.

The indifference caught even Embry off guard. He turned to give her a questioning look, to which she ignored. He made his way over to Jared, Paul and Jacob and told them what he had heard her say. The four watched her pay for her ticket and walk inside without so much as a backwards glance in their direction.

Jacob shook his head. He knew how deep his silence hurt her. She'd told him about her friends- how they'd just walked away like the rest of the family without a backwards glance and still hadn't called her. It was as if their friendship hadn't existed once they told her they had been moving. Now that he knew what they were… it made sense that they'd stop talking to her. It didn't hurt him any less to hurt her now though.

Sam's orders had been concrete. He'd had to get some distance between them in order to control his wolf. He'd planned to see a movie then go home and call her to say he felt better but couldn't hang out due to a few things going on at the time. Seeing the dead look in her eyes… it hurt him. He didn't want to do that to her. She was a sister to him and he'd hurt her.

"Cheer up, Jake. She'll come around soon enough." Embry told him.

Paul rolled his eyes. "She better not. Little leech lover isn't allowed around anymore. Even Sam said it's for the best."

Jacob growled at him. "Shut it, Paul. You don't even **know **her! She's **still **my best friend. Nothing you say will change that."

Paul smirked. "The look she sent you says otherwise. And I don't **need **to know her… I don't **want **to know her either… she hung out with vampires… she's stupid and reckless."

"Come on guys. I want to try and _pretend _to be normal for a while. Don't fight." Jared huffed. "And Paul, we don't know that she knew what they were. So... don't judge too much."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just find the damn theatre."

It was no surprise to Jacob that Bella sat in the theatre they were. Given the choice she'd take action over romance. And he knew her friend Angela would go along with her too as a show of support. He couldn't help but glance her way throughout the movie. The way she'd laugh at the funny parts, or cringe at a gruesome explosion. He had missed her and wondered, not for the first time, how she'd gotten involved with vampires in the first place.

By the time the movie was over, his pack mates could see Jacob itching to talk to Bella. They took the chance and caught up with her outside of the theatre. Angela was already in the truck when Jacob grabbed her arm. He wanted to tell her so many things.

All he said though was "I'm sorry."

"It's fine Jake. I'll be by later this week if you want." She shrugged.

Jacob shook his head. "No… it's… maybe… you shouldn't come by yet. There's a lot going on right now."

"I see." Bella sighed. "Well… call me I guess. I've got to get home."

"You're not… just like that?" Jacob's brows furrowed in confusion, wondering why she wasn't demanding answers from him, screaming at him, calling him an ass… something other than being so passive in her acceptance.

"What would you have me **do**, Jake?" She finally asked whirling around to look at him. "Should I beg for your time? Last time I checked, **friends **didn't have to **do **that. So, when you get what you need done, call me. I'll talk. Until then…"

Jacob looked away. He hated seeing the defeat in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bella. You're right. I just… I wish it could be different."

"It can be. You just have to trust me." She told him.

"I do! I trust you with my life! But, it's not my secret to tell."

Bella smiled. "I know."

Jacob's head whipped up and he looked at her. "What?! How?!"

"I have secrets too, Jake. Some that aren't my own to share. Just… Call me. I have to go." Bella told him.

Jacob sighed. He'd done what was asked of him. He'd told Bella to stay away. He watched her pull away shook his head. In her own way, she'd just told him she knew something wasn't quite right. In her own way, she'd also just told him things would be fine.

"Come on Jake. You've got patrol when we get back." Jared reminded.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

He sighed. What he wouldn't give for things to go back to being normal again.


	3. Chapter 2

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**Chapter 2**

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Bella sighed. She'd been having a rough day. Lauren had done everything in her power to get a reaction out of Bella in school now that she was without her 'perfect friends' and even Jessica seemed to have jumped on the 'I hate Bella Swan' band wagon. Her only friends these days seemed to be Angela, Ben and Eric. Even Jacob stopped calling finally after telling her again not to come by anymore.

It was a hard pill to swallow, even if she knew it was supposed to happen. She threw herself into her studies, even her work at Newton's, which pleased Mr. and Mrs. Newton greatly. They told her time and again that she was one of their best workers they had.

Bella always smiled and thanked them but at the moment it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She sighed and looked out at the nearly clear sky outside of the Newton's store and thought about the meadow she and the Cullens would often times go to sit in on sunny days once she was out of school. She shook her head… sparkling vampires- how wrong the books had it.

"Something on your mind?"

Bella smiled at Mike. He'd popped up just when she needed a friend to talk to. "Maybe. I've been thinking about the Cullen kids again. I haven't heard anything from them in a while. It's like they dropped everyone here when they moved. It sucks."

Mike smiled. "Yeah, it sucks when friends move away and don't talk to you again. There's a lot of that happening to you these days though." He mused.

"Meaning?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh… uh… Angela told me about Jacob. I know he was a good friend of yours, wasn't he? Has he started talking to you again?"

Bella shook her head and frowned. "No… he's got a lot on his plate. I still talk to his dad when I go fishing with him, but… Jake and I don't run in the same circles anymore."

Mike frowned at the sad look on her face. "I'm sorry. That's not cool. Maybe I should give him a piece of my mind! What do you say Arizona?"

Bella giggled. "Somehow I doubt you'd be able to do much to him. He's grown into his muscles since the last time you saw him."

"Pfft! I can take him!" Mike grinned.

"Whatever, get back to work, Newton!" She teased.

Mike smirked. "You too, Swan."

He was just happy he had cheered her up at all. He hated seeing his friends upset. It hurt doubly that he harbored a small crush on her. He didn't like seeing her frown the way she had been doing recently.

The doorbell chiming overhead alerted the two teens to someone entering the store. They both called out a greeting and made themselves presentable as two men made their way to the counter. They told Bella and Mike they wanted to get brand new camping gear.

"We're going bear hunting. We want to get up close photos of them for a local magazine back home." One of told Bella.

"So you're photographers?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, we run the nature and outdoors section of our magazine." The other one said handing them a card.

Bella ignored the first man's eyes, pretending to be unaware that he'd been appraising her. She glanced to Mike to see him frowning at them both before leading them over to the two person tents. It wasn't too long before they came back with a four person tent- plenty of extra leg room- two sleeping bags, a complete set of camping cook ware, hiking boots- both pairs waterproof- and a bag of kindling. Bella shook her head and told them they forgot the rain gear, pointing them to the section they'd need.

This time, the younger of the two stayed at the counter. "So… you a native of Forks, or do you hail from Port Angeles?"

Was he serious? Had he started flirting? Bella closed her eyes and tried not to groan out loud.

"I'm from Forks." She said with an easy and all together fake but professional smile.

"So, you've seen the bears then? They must be big. We've heard some stories… they're supposedly man eaters."

Bella nodded. "I've heard the stories. I don't think they're that big though. If they are, well, I don't think they'll mess with you."

The man arched his eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Well why not? I think you're cute enough you'd get away from them, but me… I'm betting I'd be a goner."

Bella again shook her head, barely refraining from the eye roll she felt coming. "Because, while they're predators, bears only kill to survive- just like any other predator. They attack to defend themselves, their young or their territory and only kill to eat. As long as you respect them, respect their homes and their families, you'll be fine." She shrugged.

"Hey, AJ, we've got ourselves a bear expert!" He teased, calling back to his partner.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I never claimed to be an expert. It's common sense." She said while ringing up their purchases.

"I have to agree with my associate. There have been sightings, sure, but no attacks." Mike said, showing his quiet support.

The men shrugged. "We'll see. Thanks for this stuff. It'll be put to good use."

"Have a good day!" Bella chimed just before they walked out of the door.

"I don't think I've ever met two more egotistical or idiotic men." Mike said with a sigh.

Bella shrugged. "I have. I'm sure I have." She said thinking of all of her friends fit the description- egotistical at least. The only face she could come up with was Paul Lahote, and he was neither friend nor foe at this point and time.

"Hey, so… do you have plans this weekend? It's supposed to be sunny!" Mike wondered.

"I thought about asking Angela to go hiking with me. Matter of fact… I need a compass and a map… there's a meadow I want to try and find. You should come with us." Bella muttered.

Mike grinned, told her he'd tag along and produced those along with a pair of hiking boots and a hat. Bug spray on a key chain were the next things placed on the pile for her. When she reached in her wallet to pull the money out to pay he told her he had it covered.

"What… but Mike…"

"Don't worry about it Bella. I got it. Store credit is awesome for some things." He snickered.

She eyed him. "There's something wrong with this stuff wasn't there?"

"Maybe. I'm kidding. They sat in the back so long they weren't put out in time for the sales. They'll still ring up at sale price but the sales are over now. I may or may not have changed the prices yet." He said with a smirk and a small shrug of his shoulders.

Bella shook her head at him. "You're so going to get caught one of these days." She grinned. "But thank you. I appreciate it."

"Hey, the way I see it, I'll own the store one day. If I can help a few friends out along the way… well.. Why not?" Mike gave her a shrug and went about cleaning the shelves.

(~_~_~_~_~)

Bella had little to complain about- other than the text from Mike to say he had to bail on their hike- by the time she woke up on Saturday morning. Voices floated to her from the stairway and her natural curiosity got the better of her as she roused herself from her bed. She dressed in a pair of old jeans and a long sleeved tee before making her way down the stairs.

Billy and Harry were there to greet her when she walked into the kitchen. She nodded then gave her dad a gentle shove out of the way before he burned the eggs he'd been trying to scramble. It took her no time at all to whip up some pancakes for the three men staring at her and the stove. She had to giggle when she dished out their food and returned to make her own plate.

"So.. Bella, what do you plan to do on this rare sunny day today?" Harry asked with a small grin.

"Angela, Mike and I talked about going hiking today. It's a good day for it." She said with a one shoulder shrug. She nearly missed the worried looks thrown her way by the three.

"Are you sure that's wise Bella? There have been a lot of bear sightings lately." Billy hedged.

"Yeah, I know, but I think we'll be ok. We're staying on the main trails. And we've gone hiking in the area before today. There's a strong signal for our phones, not to mention we'll all be within screaming distance of the ranger towers." She told them. Logic told her why at least two of them were so hesitant. They had a huge secret to keep.

"Well… when you put it that way… but… wouldn't you be safer… here… out of the trees?" Charlie tried.

"Dad… don't worry. I'll be fine." She promised.

She called Angela while her dad listened, 'just checking to see if they were all still going,' though she had her back to him while she washed dishes at the kitchen sink. She grinned when Angela picked up that this was the first time Charlie Swan had heard about it, and said she'd go with her. She told her she'd be ready and at her door in an hour's time. Bella hung up and skipped up the steps to get ready.

In the end, the three learned she wouldn't be swayed and told her to be safe. They watched her leave, her bag packed with her gear- a map, compass, whistle, bug spray, water bottles, snacks and a hat- and told her to call if she needed anything. She waved them off, left to meet Angela and raced for the hiking trails. It took her next to no time to find the trail she needed and they set out in search of what she had coined the Cullen's Haven.

Two hours into her hike and Bella sat herself on a fallen log. A bottle of water sat in her hands and she sighed in frustration. She knew she had to be getting close- her sense of direction couldn't be THAT far off- but for the life of her, she hadn't found the meadow they'd been searching for yet. Angela smiled and rested beside her, her own water bottle in her hands.

"So are we there yet, if I can ask?"

Bella sighed. "I thought so. I mean, I used to come with the Cullens all the time and it never seemed this far into the forest. It's like IT disappeared when they did. I know that sounds stupid, but wow… I'm so frustrated right now." She never told Angela of course that she was carried either by Alice or Emmett and it took only a matter of minutes to reach.

Angela smiled. "We'll get there. Lets take a look at the map again and then we can keep going, ok? We'll be fine."

The hairs on the back of her neck rose then giving Bella pause. It felt like someone had been watching them. She chanced a look to the sides and behind her and frowned when she didn't see anything. She prayed it was only the wolves on patrol. It would do no one any good to come across something else now. If she had been on her own, it'd be one thing, but she had brought an innocent life with her.

She'd have a heavy heart knowing she was the reason Angela was dead. Her 'other life' kept running over and over in her mind. If she went by that, it was too early to have encountered Laurent yet. But… she'd caused various ripples in this life already... she didn't know what else would happen different now.

"You ready to go again?" Angela asked bringing her out of her thoughts.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I think we're on the right path. I just wish we'd get there already!" She huffed.

Angela laughed. "Steady is the turtle who won the race." She quipped.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. Don't give up and don't rush." She huffed.

It took the girls another twenty minutes before they stepped foot into a clearing of dead brush and decaying trees. Bella frowned. She recognized the trunks of those trees- the tribal carvings from Emmett and Rosalie and the hearts made by Jasper for Alice. This was the meadow.

"It looks like winter killed everything." Angela said breaking her friend from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I wish you could have seen this place last summer. It was so gorgeous." Bella said with a sigh. She grinned when Angela sat beside her, both of them enjoying the sun on their faces.

"I bet. There's new grass growing though, look." Angela said pointing to the new shoots of grass and flowers fighting to reach through the dead brush.

"I see it. I wish summer would get here so I could show this place off some more." Bella sighed.

"We'll just have to come back then." Angela grinned.

A twig snapping had their attention drawn to the left. Bella sucked in a breath and moved in front of Angela. "No." She murmured under her breath.

"So it's true… they did leave you here.."

Bella sighed. Those words hurt to hear- even if they had said goodbye- they still lost contact with her.

"Bella, who is that?" Angela asked.

"He's a friend of the Cullens'… Angela… can you do me a favor?" She asked standing, her eyes never leaving Laurent's ever circling form.

"Sure… of course." Angela followed her direction, her own eyes taking in the cat like way the man in front of them moved. It sent a shiver of fear to the base of her spine.

"I need you to go back to my truck. Take the map and the compass. I'll be right behind you. Laurent and I just need to have a talk first.. Ok?" Bella hoped she could hear the urgency in her voice.

Angela must have sensed that they were in danger. She took Bella's map and the compass and backed away. She watched Laurent's even tempered face change into a Cheshire cat grin before her back turned and she started running. She needed to get help, and she needed help now.

Laurent watched Angela leave before his attention was turned back to Bella. "So noble of you to let her leave. It's a shame though, mon chere."

Bella swallowed. "Why is that, Laurent?" She shifted her weight and took a step back.

Laurent's head tilted, the predator waking in him as she took another step backwards. "Because, sweet Isabella, it's your time to die... and after you, she follows."

Bella paused, her heart beating wild in her ribcage. "How do you figure I'll die at all?"

"James had a mate, sweet Isabella. She watched the Cullens save you. She watched them tear James limb from limb as his venom was drawn from your veins." Laurent said.

Her vision blurred and before she could gasp, Bella was in the arms of the vampire before her. "I don't… I didn't ask… they saved me on their own!"

"Shh… Shh… hush now, mon chere. Hush now. I'll make this quick. I promise you this. You'll not suffer the pain that Victoria has planned for you." He told her, his nose skimming along her jaw.

Bella shivered. Her instincts told her to fight. She tried squirming away and was rewarded with Laurent's growl of annoyance and his arms binding themselves tight around her wringing a whimper from her lips. She shivered again as tears formed in her eyes. She wasn't ready to die.

A growl in the trees drew Laurent's attention from his meal. His eyes scanned them before looking down at Bella again when he found nothing. He ran his finger down her cheek- a caress meant for a lover in another lifetime. He hushed her quiet sob and ended her protest as he stared into her eyes. The power of the thrall started taking her and the wolves that watched grew enraged when they saw it. They knew what it was, and none of them liked it one little bit.

Bella felt herself growing limp in the arms of her captor. Her mind hazed over as thoughts of escape left her. She stared into his red eyes, helpless to leave his gaze. Her blood raced through her body, her heart beating strong, dancing for Laurent. It called to him and she had no strength to stop it.

"Shh... my sweet Isabella... it's nearly finished. One kiss... one bite... then no pain." He inhaled along her skin. "Delicious." He purred.

Venom pooled in his mouth. Just before he could bite through her delicate flesh to taste the flavor of her sweet blood, another growl sounded. As a unit, five wolves emerged from the tree line. Their lupine forms shimmered in the sun, giving Laurent pause in his disbelief. Bella was lain on the ground, his eyes never leaving the wolves in front of him.

The ebony wolf in front, the silver and brown furred wolves to the side, even the molted gray wolf and the gorgeous rust colored wolf to the rear points- all of them watched him stoically. They wanted Bella clear of danger. Laurent stood in a stupor all his own as he backed away from them. When he was far enough away, his instincts to run triggered their instincts to chase. Only one wolf was left behind- the dark gray furred one. He'd been tasked with staying with Bella until she woke.

The wolves wasted no time in dispatching Laurent. It was no hard task- he'd been weak from not feeding. As a unit, they turned back to the clearing where Bella Swan still lay unmoving. The wolves shifted to their human forms and watched on with both worry and curiosity.

"You **do **realize if she sees us here, she's going to wonder where the hell we came from, right?" Jared mused.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Paul, Jared, go back to her truck, make sure her friend got back ok. Embry, Jake… go find a ranger. Tell them there's been an attack in the area and the man ran into the trees. I'll take her back."

"But Sam-"

"Go, Jacob!"

Jacob growled and stalked off after Embry when Sam leveled a glare his way. Sam only shook his head at the willful pup. He'd been a handful since day one. When they were gone, Sam sighed. "Billy was right- you ARE trouble." He leaned down and picked her up careful not to agitate the bruises already forming around her sides.

By the time they reached the truck, Paul had left Jared hugging a tearful Angela to him. The rangers had just pulled up with Embry and Jacob in tow when Bella started to stir. Charlie got called in as a courtesy since Bella was his daughter and Sam told them all that Bella had been knocked out by her would be attacker.

Charlie thanked Sam for coming to Bella's aide and he asked Jacob to drive Bella's truck home while Bella and Angela were piled into the back of his patrol car. Bella told Charlie that she had seen Laurent once or twice talking to Carlisle, but she never would have guessed he'd try to attack her like that. She told him he'd been asking where they'd gone and he'd had business to discuss with them.

At the end of the day, Bella was glad that she had kept her knowledge of what happened to herself. Laurent was long gone by now, turned to ashes by the pack. Bella herself however, would use the days events as a shoe in to talk to Billy. Come morning, she'd be dressed and heading to the Blacks' house for the first time in over a month or two. She had a few things that needed to be said and she'd make the elders listen come what may.


	4. Chapter 3

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**Chapter 3**

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Bella moaned and cracked an eye open as the alarm on her bedside table sounded. She greeted the annoying thing with a hard smack and told it to shut the hell up or else. It retaliated five minutes later by once again blaring at her that it was time to wake up yet again. She slammed her hand down on the snooze button muttered at it to shut the hell up, going so far as to threaten harm if it sounded once more.

Charlie watched her from the doorway and shook his head in amusement. "Come on, Bells. It's Friday. You said you wanted to go and see Jake today after school."

Bella rolled her eyes asking herself why she'd waited for a week after the fact to see her godfather instead of the day after her attack like she'd wanted. Then she remembered that she wanted to catch him off guard. It would be harder for him to lie to her that way.

"I'm awake." She grumbled, glaring at her alarm clock again as it started to sound. She threatened harm to the poor piece of technology in charge of her timely arrival to the prison known as school and moved to start her morning.

Charlie smirked. "I know you're awake. Come get breakfast. I've got coffee ready."

"Oh thank God!" She grizzled. It wasn't but ten minutes later when she was downstairs- without tripping- and throwing her hair into a high pony tail.

"You're gonna stay out of the trees this weekend right?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Has Angela?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "She was like an old mother hen for three days after the fact. I didn't expect some crazy guy to come after us! I didn't even know we'd been getting stalked!"

"I know kiddo. I'm glad you took her with you. Heaven forbid you had gone on your own. I'd be visiting your grave or something." Charlie grizzled.

"Dad…" She huffed and shot him an exasperated frown.

"Just have a good day kiddo. I've got to head in early." Charlie said kissing the crown of her head.

Bella smiled. When she looked out of the window again, dark rain clouds had started to form in the sky. Good day, it might not be.

The age old saying, when it rains, it pours, was what Bella used to describe her day thus far. It had been fairly pleasant until her faithful truck had broken down on the side of the road. She'd called Mike- the only other gear head she knew besides the boys in La Push- and together they'd gotten the thing started again. By the time they reached school, it had started to rain. Bella had forgotten her umbrella at home.

As soon as she entered the school, she had bumped into Angela. She smiled and walked to her locker with her, Charlie's words rolling in her head.

"Hey… Angela?"

"What's up Bella? You look upset."

She sighed. "Well, I kind of am. I've been thinking about what happened last weekend. You know I didn't intend to put you in harms way right? I didn't think anyone had been following us. I feel horrible about it… I never would have taken you if I knew… I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Bella… please… it's ok. No one asks for bad things to happen to them. I'm just thankful that my prayers were heard. Who knows **what **could have happened… Now… enough sad talk... lets get to class."

Before they could get too far, the two bumped into Jessica and Lauren. Bella mused that it was set up to be done so Lauren could pretend to cry about it and cause a scene. She only rolled her eyes and walked away. Ever the antagonist, Lauren followed her and prodded at Bella about her encounter with the phantom serial killer in the woods. She was ignored however, only after Bella made a quip about Lauren's phantom modeling agent. Rumors still flew around the school even a week after it had happened.

By lunch time, the rumors had become so ridiculous that all Bella could do was laugh. Ben had even told her he'd heard that she and the boys from the reservation were involved in the plot to hold Bella for ransom against her own father. They'd shared a good laugh at that one right before Bella was asked by Jessica what she'd been doing in the forest.

Angela was quick to come to her aide, telling them it had been a decent day and they'd been enjoying it on a hike. When Lauren tried to take a stab at Bella's clumsiness, Bella shrugged. She then asked Lauren how she liked her new hair cut. It was dirty and underhanded, but Bella let it be known she wasn't going to take it for too long. Lauren's friends hushed up and left Bella be for the rest of the lunch hour.

Now at the end of the day, Bella was not happy in the slightest. Her window had been left cracked and her seat was soaked. Even if it WAS leather interior- it still didn't mix well with rain. To make matters worse, the check engine light started blinking at her as she made her way to La Push. If she made it there in one piece, she'd kiss the ground.

25 minutes later, Bella's truck spluttered after she pulled into The Black's driveway. She moaned and muttered obscenities under her breath, glaring at her truck. When it was over, she offered her apologies and told the beast how much she loved him, even went so far as to give the steering wheel a kiss and the dash board a small pat. Her truck seemed to shudder at the attention. It did, however, appear to stop smoking some.

She made her way to the front door which was already opened. Jacob had been watching her from behind the screen. He looked guilty when he didn't rush out to hug her like he had before his change. Instead, his hands moved to the pockets of his cut off shorts. He eyed her and she him. Her eyebrow raised after a minute of silence had passed between them.

"I told you not to come by, Bella." Jacob sighed. He wondered just why he had to have such stubborn friends.

Bella shrugged. "I know. I'm not here to see you. I need to talk to your dad."

"What? Why?" The shock was evident on his face and there was a slight pained expression in his eyes. It looked as if she'd finally stopped trying to save their friendship.

"Is he home?" She asked ignoring his questions.

Jacob blinked and pointed. He got over his stupor quick and followed Bella into the house. "He's in there.. Harry and old Quil are in there too."

"That's fine." She said with a nod and not another word spared towards him.

Jacob shook his head. If he needed to know they'd call him in to talk to them too. He felt a slight jolt of pain that she didn't even turn back to look at him, but he couldn't blame her either. He had to distance himself to keep their secret safe. Until he could change their minds, his friendship with Bella had become non existent.

"Bella?" Billy eyed his stubborn goddaughter and wondered how long she would continue to hurt herself.

"I know about the pack. I saw them in the woods."

"Bella, what do you mean to say?" Billy tried to play it off- he had to pretend she hadn't found out their secret.

"It's hard to forget seeing five over sized wolves gallivanting around the forest." She said with a firm nod of her head and direct eye contact with him.

"Then you know why it's not safe here." Harry interrupted.

Bella rolled her eyes. "There are far greater dangers than a band of over sized lap dogs, Harry." She snapped.

"Bella…"

Angry shouts brought their conversation to a halt. Sam, Jared and Paul had seen Bella's truck. Embry busied himself trying to break up another fight between Paul and Jacob when Bella walked outside followed by the elders.

Paul saw red when Bella stepped off of the porch. "YOU! You're not welcome here!" He growled.

"Until I'm sent away by the elders, I think I am." Bella growled back.

The wolves looked impressed though they'd never admit it. Most humans ran from them. But here was this little waif of a female standing up to the most volatile wolf in the pack. Paul lunged forward only to be caught by Jared.

"Come on Paul, don't do this."

Paul ignored him. "Go home, Swan! Jacob doesn't want you to pollute his air anymore!" He snapped.

"Tough words from a fur ball." She quipped with a small smirk.

Sam's eyes flashed to Jacob. "What did you say to her?!"

Jacob was stunned. "N-nothing! Don't blame me!"

"She's your friend.." Jared mused.

"So just because Bella's my friend that means I did something?! What about Embry? He's her friend just as much as I am!" Jacob growled and glared all at the same time.

Embry moaned. "Leave me outta this… please?"

"WAS your friend." Bella snapped. "We're not anymore… remember?"

Paul smirked. "Looks like she finally learned."

"I'll tell you what's fun to learn. The legends in these parts sound interesting, don't they fluffy?" Bella mused while staring at her nails- the picture of boredom painted across her face.

Paul's eyes flashed a molten gold as he turned to Jacob. "You **told **her?! The vampire wanna be **knows **about us?!" He hissed. He stood mere feet from Bella now, and his body shivered with tension.

"Paul, come on man.. This isn't good for you." Jared tried. Paul's temper could be called volatile at best. Now he stood on the verge of doing irrevocable damage.

"And if I do know? What're you gonna do about it, other than foam at the mouth and growl. If that's the best you got, I'm already over it, Rover. I'm not scared of you!" Bella hissed.

Jared moaned. "So not helping.." He grumbled.

"Of course you're not scared. I bet you weren't scared of the walking corpse either. Tell me.. What's it like fucking the walking dead?" Paul sneered eying her.

Bella's eyes flashed. Paul's assumptions had a way to just get under her skin like nothing else. She hadn't even been dating Edward and the wolves still thought that she'd been in love with him. Before they knew it, her hand connected with the skin of his jaw. Her blood boiled enough to dull the throb in her hand as she stayed trained on Paul.

"Oh fuck me running… Come on Bella, now's the time to move." Jacob hissed.

"Paul! STOP!" Sam huffed when he charged at the girl.

Embry started to guide her backwards as well. "Not smart, Bella. You need to get away from him. He's not… safe… right now."

Bella's own temper flared. "**No**! Of all the obnoxious, conceited, arrogant, egotistical asshats, I'm **not **afraid of **him**!" She yelled before shoving him a fraction of an inch away from her.

"Come on Paul, stop! You don't want to do this!" Jared grunted in an effort to move Paul back from her.

Paul smirked. "Yeah, I do! I'd **love **to put the little princess in her place. Now's the time to run, Bella." His taunt ended in a growl as the yellow around his eyes started to bleed even more into his brown orbs.

Embry noticed the three elders watching. "_Do something_!"

Old Quil shook his head. "She has provoked a wolf. This is her battle now."

Jacob rolled his eyes at that. "If he kills her, I'm going after the three of you!"

With another roar, a horse sized, silver furred wolf stood where Paul had been. Bella stood her ground when Paul charged at her- even if her heart raced inside her chest from mixed amounts of fear and adrenaline. She didn't back down from him. She didn't even stumble away.

"I told you Paul," She sneered when he stopped in front of her, "I'm **not **afraid of you."

Paul stared into her eyes then nearly dropped to the ground. **She **was his _forever_?! Large eyes widened more as both the man and wolf stood in shock. How was it possible?

"Dude… did his wolf just…" Embry and Jacob were stunned.

"Did he just…" Jared was shocked.

Sam shook his head. "Talk about complications." He said with a sigh.

Jacob growled then. "No! Not happening! She's **not **going to be a part of this! Not like this! She's too **good **for him!"

Paul turned and growled deep in his chest. Jacob took the time to phase and knock Paul into the woods. They needed to get calmed down- either by fighting or running. Though he preferred to run, Jacob was ready for a fight.

"Jared, Embry, take Bella to the house." He bade the wolves before leaving to the woods.

Bella sighed. She stared after Sam's retreating form before turning to Jared and Embry. "Will they be alright?"

Jared smiled and coaxed her to her truck which Embry checked and deemed drivable for the moment. "They'll be fine. Come on Bella." He helped her into the cab, tossed Embry the keys and hopped into the back. Now that it had cooled off some, her truck was happy to turn over and start for the quiet wolf. Bella only rolled her eyes. It would be a long day indeed.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Paul still glared when he walked into Sam's house. He found Bella sitting between Jared and Embry on the couch with Emily in the recliner. All of them but Bella looked up when he made his way to the living room.

"Hi Paul." Emily greeted.

Paul grunted and leaned down to kiss Emily's cheek. He ignored Embry, cuffed Jared on the back of the head and sneered at Bella. It was all he could afford to do that the moment. If he tried to talk, he'd scream. It wasn't fair. He got the girl who'd befriended a coven of vampires.

Bella rolled her eyes at the display. Jared and Embry had told her the basics of imprinting. She'd known about it already- though she didn't say anything. She had listened to them talking. What she didn't expect was to feel such a strong urge to just be near Paul as soon as he walked through the door. She knew then and there, he'd imprinted on her. His wolf had, at least. The man still fought.

Oh it was a lovely day.

Not.

Bella looked at the time and was about to stand and leave when Sam and Jacob walked into the house. Sam took one look at her and shook his head. She arched an eyebrow in challenge at him and he grinned. Jacob cleared his throat and looked at her. No words were needed. She got up and walked to him, wrapping her hand around his, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Some secret huh." She teased.

Jacob's grin was small. "I wanted to tell you."

"It wasn't yours to tell. I get it."

Paul scoffed in the corner. "Because we all know you have your secrets, don't you."

Bella sighed. "It's getting old, Paul. Just shut the hell up if you can't control that tongue of yours. No one wants to hear it, much less see you foam at the mouth again."

Behind them, Emily sucked in a sharp breath. No one had ever dared talk to Paul that way. He was too angry- too volatile. And if she were honest, she was more leery of Paul than any of the other wolves she had in and out of her house on a daily basis. Bella turned and gave Emily a small smile of apology.

"Sorry, Emily, that was kind of rude."

"It's alright." She said. Her eyes were still on Paul, who had started to shake again.

Bella saw it as well and rolled her eyes. "Here we go again." She muttered.

Jared shook his head. "I get that your fearless, but it doesn't help that you get kind of mouthy when your mad. Your anger sets off his anger… and he wolfs out…"

"You wolf out in my house you'll be the one fixing it, Paul. Go run." Sam snapped.

Paul huffed. "Gladly!"

"Come have a seat Bella. Don't be fooled by him. He cares in his own way." Emily called.

"Yeah.. He cares enough to throw me over a cliff." She bit out with a sneer.

Paul's poked into the doorway then. "Is that an option?!"

"Go choke on a stick. No one asked you to bark, Fido." Bella snapped.

Jacob and Embry fell into stitches of laughter. They'd forgotten how sarcastic she could get if the situation called for it. Sam even choked on his laughter as he watched Paul's face contort with rage. He needed to watch the two of them together from now on to make sure they didn't kill one another. That wouldn't be good for anyone.

Jared managed to pull Paul away from the house and into the trees before he phased. Emily merely chuckled. It wouldn't be so bad to have Bella around after all.

"Should I have called him Cujo instead?" The amused glint in her eye offset the innocent look on her face- only just so.

A roar in the trees was her answer. They'd been close enough that Paul had still heard what she said, and he sounded none too pleased. Bella merely shrugged. She had changed and vowed when she woke up that she wouldn't be the meek little girl she had been. Even if it meant she had to face off against her own wolf.

"You shouldn't antagonize him, Bella. He's… difficult." Sam finally sighed.

Bella gave him a knowing smile. "I think I can handle it. I'm not afraid of him. He won't hurt me."

"Bells, you don't know that." Jacob sighed.

She gave them all a small smile. "No, I don't. But his wolf won't let him. Sam even said it himself.. You're protectors. You can't harm humans. And that's what I am.. Last time I checked at least. Besides… from what you guys have said… you can't voluntarily harm… so as long as I don't go past a certain point, I should be fine."

Sam didn't have the heart to tell her that it could be done at the extreme guilt of the wolf afterwards. He only shook his head and sighed. He'd watch her and Paul for now. It was all he could do.

"Smart ass." Jacob snorted.

She smirked. "You taught me well."

"She's got you there, Jake." Embry grinned.

Bella smirked. "Besides… all Paul needs is a collar and a leash- maybe a bone or two to gnaw on- and he'll be fine."

Jacob shook his head. He was just happy to have her back. Anything else could wait. Even Paul's indignant fury couldn't keep his good mood from shining through at the moment. He looked around the living room at all of his friends- new and old- then to Emily and Bella who were beside themselves with laughter. He thanked the spirits for a small respite in his new life. He had his best friend back, and he couldn't be happier about the fact.


	5. Chapter 4

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**Chapter 4**

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Another week had passed by quick for Bella. Each day after school, Jacob and Embry greeted her at her house in order to do their homework. They told her that Quil had finally phased. He was now under orders to stay away from her for a week or two provided he could control his anger and strength and then he'd be able to wrap her up in his arms in one of his own versions of a bear hug.

She couldn't wait.

She'd missed her friends too much lately.

Emily snapped her out of her thoughts when she cursed under her breath. The two were in Emily's kitchen cooking together. It had become a habit of Emily's to invite Bella over on the weekends. This weekend just so happened to be Embry's birthday. They had to celebrate early because Bella would be going fishing in the morning with Billy, Harry and her dad. They were in the middle of making his favorite meal- three cheese tortellini with bread sticks and a triple layer chocolate cake for desert. It was definitely a two person job cooking for the bottomless pits Bella now called friends- again.

Sam was the first to walk into the kitchen upon entering the house. He had followed his nose, not to the food, but to his mate. He wrapped his arms around her waist and left a trail of kisses across her neck. Bella merely sighed and shook her head. Sam grinned and lifted her off of her feet into a hug. He saw her as a kid sister who he just happened to love annoying. It was like she'd always fit in with the pack- even it was only a week after Paul had imprinted on her.

"Put me **down**, Sam, you overgrown puppy!" Bella huffed.

Sam pretended to think about it until he saw Bella brandishing a wooden spoon. While it wouldn't do major damage to him, it still stung. She'd started taking after Emily only two days after spending time with the pack. The two spent too much time together now- if they were to ask his opinion.

"Alright, alright. Spoil my fun." He said shaking his head.

Bella only rolled her eyes. "Uh huh.. That's what you have your **own **imprint for you great big ball of fur. Keep it up and you won't get food." She teased.

Jared pouted behind them. "Why is it only you two can get away with threatening him?" He gave Emily a kiss on the temple and moved out of reach when she swatted the spoon at him. He likewise did the same with Bella, only narrowly avoiding a spoon to the shoulder. She'd gotten better with her aim. He mused he'd have to be lighter on his feet if he wanted to avoid being hit by her. Bella didn't harbor the same maternal instinct for the pack boys that Emily did. She was more of a sister than a mother to them- fair game for hits and swats in her mind.

Bella shrugged. "Because we're women and we can get away with anything?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and wrapped Bella into one of his famous bear hugs while kissing her cheek. "That's not it at all. It's more like we're terrified you two won't feed us so we let you get away with insulting us."

"We all know how much you two _love _to cook. All that food would go to waste if you didn't cook it!" Embry grinned, taking his turn to hug her.

Bella sighed. "I see what I've been reduced to in your eyes. I'm nothing more than a glorified- and barely paid- cook. I don't know Emily, maybe we **should **let them fend for themselves for a while."

"They'd die of starvation." Emily grinned.

Bella arched an eyebrow when the laughter was overshadowed by loud growling coming from the doorway of the kitchen. Paul stood with his arms over his chest glaring at Embry, who still had an arm around Bella's shoulders. It was a platonic hug, but Paul's wolf saw it as an insult none the less.

Sam only shook his head and watched Embry let Bella go with a taunting and knowing chuckle. "Easy, Embry." He warned.

Emily grinned. "Hi Paul." She said, trying to diffuse the tension some.

"Emily." He muttered, his eyes not leaving Bella and Embry.

Emily shook her head. Paul was jealous and he had no reason to be. It was his own fault that he and Bella weren't getting along more. All he had to do was accept that she was his forever, his perfect match- his mate. "There's something for you on the table."

"Enjoy." Bella snickered.

Jacob and Embry frowned in confusion at her. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing much. He got a present, that's all."

She smirked when Paul noticed the wrapped box on the dining room table with his name on it. He looked around the room and noticed Bella watching him. With a raised eyebrow he started to unwrap the gift. When he pulled the lid off, he nearly spluttered with indignation.

"What the hell is **that**?!" Paul growled.

Jared peered over Paul's shoulder and nearly choked on his own tongue. Not only had Bella followed through on her threat to get him a leash, but she had gotten him a collar as well. There in the box, shiny and new lay a black leather 6 ft long leash and a matching collar for him. It was even engraved in silver lettering with his name on the back of the black leather band.

The rest of the pack was stunned at her boldness when it came to the volatile wolf. Even Quil- who wasn't afraid of much- was wary of the silver wolf. Yet, Bella who stood all of 5' something or other and weighed in at no more than 110 soaking wet- so Jacob mused- had just played a practical joke on him. She even took every opportunity to argue with him, going so far as to tell him to 'choke on a bone.'

"Again I ask… what. the **hell**. is **that**?" He growled.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop your yapping, you idiotic ankle biter." She huffed. "It's supposed to be funny. The rest of the guys think so."

"Go fuck a corpse." Not the best retort he had, but it pleased the man in him none the less.

Sam and Jared merely sighed. It had become commonplace anymore that the two would fight. The pack could see that Bella was suffering, but she refused to show that to Paul.

"Go run it off Paul." Jared cajoled. "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Why is she even **here**?!" He hissed.

Emily smacked him on the arm. "She's here because I invited her Paul, I needed help cooking the food you all will be eating. And she's here because it's Embry's birthday. Now leave the poor girl alone. She's had a rough day."

"**She's **had a rough day? Doing _what_? It's got to be so hard pining after the walking dead." He quipped.

"Don't you have some sticks to fetch or something?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Fuck off princess." He growled.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Asshat." She muttered.

"Frigid bitch. Go fuck a popsicle. You'll feel better." He quipped with a smirk.

"Go bury your nose in a viper pit you overgrown **mutt**!" She hissed, her eyes alight with an inner fire that Paul secretly loved to see.

"Enough! Go run it off Paul. The girls need to finish cooking." Sam sighed.

As Paul stormed by her, Bella lost her balance and started to fall backwards. His arm shot out to catch her- his wolf's instinct to protect their imprint- before either of them knew what had happened. When she was righted, she realized belatedly that Paul had caught the wrist that had been bitten. She moaned when his eyes stayed trained there. He knew something just wasn't right with her. He could feel it on her skin.

"Let me go, Paul." She said, trying to get away from his now shaking form.

He ignored her in favor of pushing the fabric of her sleeve away from the scar on her arm. He nearly growled with displeasure at what he saw. His eyes searched hers then, seeing the tears in them. He backed away, his head shaking from side to side. She'd been bitten… he only guessed one of them had broken the treaty. He didn't understand how she could defend them- even after that.

"Which one?" He growled.

Her eyes hardened and she glared at him. "It's not what you think."

Paul growled again, louder this time. "WHICH ONE?!"

"I wont' answer you when you're growling at me!" Bella snapped.

Jared and Sam arched their eyebrows when Paul listened. They followed them into the living room and watched as Bella paced while Paul sat rigid, his eyes watching her every move.

"Um… would anyone care to take a guess as to what just happened?" Embry asked.

Paul huffed. "She got bitten by a tick!"

That's one way to put it. Bella mused as she sat on the edge of the couch closest to Sam. She glared at Paul, who only glared back.

"Bella?" Sam asked.

"Yes. I was." She sighed.

Sam held his hand out, asking silent permission. Bella granted it when her wrist was held out for him to see. She watched as one by one, the wolves came to inspect the wound. All of them but Paul. He stared at her, his glare and cold eyes trained on her person. She'd never felt so hated before in all her life.

"How?" Embry asked.

Bella gave him a wry smile. "I thought that that'd be obvious."

"Not the time Bella." Jacob huffed.

She sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"When?" Jared sighed.

Bella looked down at the scar and traced it with her thumb. "Last year. I kept it quiet… a group of nomads came through… I saw a man walking on the side of the road… he looked like he'd been walking to town to get help for a broken down car… so… I stopped to offer him a ride…"

"Bells… that's just so you." Jacob said with a shake of his head. "Don't you know how dangerous that can be. Even in this sleepy little part of the world?"

She nodded. "I missed the red eyes in the rear view mirror. He kept his head down and the baseball hat helped him hide his face too. When I turned around, he'd moved fifteen feet in the space of a second. The way he made me feel… like I was helpless…I felt that way too when I saw Laurent in the woods…" She trailed off, her mind replaying the events of it.

"Why are you not dead?" Sam asked, somewhat amazed.

Bella stared at him for a moment, trying to find her voice. "I stalled… told him about the Cullens. He called me a pet fit to be bled. I fought and I tried to hit him. He laughed, grabbed me wrists to hold me still then he started to argue with Laurent about who'd feed first. James won I guess. He sunk his fangs in right as the Cullen's arrived. Edward sucked the venom out and Jasper used his gift to put James into a kind of trance. Emmett, Rosalie and Alice ripped him to pieces after that."

"What do you mean… gift?" Jared asked.

Bella shrugged. "Some vampires gain special gifts when they're created. Alice could see certain events in the future due to people's decisions. Edward could read minds- but not mine- and Jasper could control people's emotions."

"Why couldn't he read your mind?" Jacob wondered.

"Carlisle thought because I would have been what they call a shield, my mind stayed blocked to him. If another vampire had tried to use a mental attack on me… like Edward… it wouldn't have effected me at all. I have no idea why he couldn't read my mind though. I'm glad sometimes that he couldn't." She shrugged.

"It figures." Paul huffed. "Not only do we have to fight off the red head that's been sniffing around, but I have a damaged imprint."

Emily gasped in horror while the rest of the wolves waited on baited breath. They watched Bella close her eyes and breathe deep. The tell tale scent of tears hung in the air, but Bella refused to let them fall. Strong willed she may have been now, but those words still hurt. She looked straight into Paul's eyes before turning back to Sam.

"You can tell Quil it's ok to be around me now, you know. I trust him. He won't hurt me. And as for the red head, her name is Victoria. She was the blonde's mate. She's here because she wants revenge on the Cullens."

"But they're not here anymore." Embry said, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, but I am." She said with a shrug.

Paul snorted. "Unfortunate for us."

The room yet again fell silent. Bella stared at Paul. "If you want to get rid of me so bad… let her have me. I'll be dead and you'll be free." She said before flouncing from the room.

"Well played, Bella." Jacob muttered.

"Well played, indeed." Jared and Embry nodded.

Sam watched Paul. The man and the wolf warred inside his head. The wolf was incensed that a vampire was after their mate. That she wanted to kill Bella for some kind of sick and twisted revenge. The man tried to push the wolf down into submission. He didn't want Bella. He didn't know her, and he didn't want to know her. He found her to be obnoxious, rude, loud mouthed and idiotic for putting herself in harms way.

"We're not going to let her get hurt." Paul finally growled. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was up and gone. The tell tale sound of torn clothes was all that greeted the remaining wolves in the silence the fell around them.

There was a secret smile on Sam's lips when he looked at Emily. It seemed his wolf had won that battle. She returned the smile and excused herself to go check on Bella, who had holed herself up in the bathroom for the time being. The pack could only wait for the day the two finally told themselves they had started falling for one another.


	6. Chapter 5

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**Chapter 5**

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She'd come on to their turf again. The wolves were all incensed that she had even dared to try. She'd been doing it for a month now, testing their borders, trying to see who she could catch on patrol… trying to learn their schedules. They all knew what she was after but they were bound and determined to see her fail in achieving her goal. Paul was among one of the first to come across her this time. He still sported three deep, slow healing scratches to his muzzle from the fight before she'd flung herself into the trees out of self preservation. She'd not counted on the viciousness of Paul's wolf in the defense of what he perceived as his.

She ran for her life with an angry pack of wolves hot on her heels. She'd jump to the forest floor to taunt them, laughing when they came close- how she loved that game. Just before their jaws would catch her, she'd fling herself into the trees, her tinkling laugh ringing through their ears. That laugh only served to fuel their anger.

They hated that laugh.

Sam snapped his jaws just as she left the cliff top. He caught a few strands of her hair, but little else. He let out a howl of frustration that was soon echoed by the rest of the pack. It had grown to include Seth Clearwater, Brady Fuller and Collin Littlesea.

Seth was glad that his sister, Leah Clearwater, had blissfully been absent from the change. She had applied to the college of her choice- on the East coast and had been gone for a year now. He'd never admit out loud, but he missed her. He was sure Sam did too… he knew for a fact Emily did. She'd asked about her estranged cousin a few times now, only to be met with the tight lips of her not so little brother.

Now that 'big red' was gone, the pack turned and headed for home. They'd made it a habit as of late to change up their patrol routes, just to confuse her. It had worked and as they ran Sam let it pass through their shared mind just how pleased he was with an idea that had been thought up by none other than Seth. He'd put strategic skill due to countless hours of video games to use and it had paid off in the end.

Sam stopped and allowed the pack to run ahead of him when they were closer to home. He was frustrated that they'd not caught the red head again, frustrated that the girl he'd come to see as his little sister was still in danger. He didn't know what to do to put Bella's fears at ease. He saw the worry in her eyes, even if she tried to show the pack how strong she was. They could smell the fear on her, hear it in the way her heart raced when Victoria was mentioned. Through it all, Paul ignored her- at least the man in him did. Sam only sighed and pawed at the ground. He just didn't know how to help and it angered him.

A nose in his fur shook him from his thoughts. Jacob had doubled back to make sure he was ok. Their wolves were in the forefront of their minds at the moment, and all they knew was that their alpha was distressed. One wolf turned to two. Two turned to four, and before Sam could fathom, four turned to eight. The only one missing was the silver wolf who was in desperate need to check on his mate.

Said wolf now rushed back to Sam's house where Emily and Bella waited for the pack. His paws stirred the leaf litter as he moved, but never once did he make a sound. His body moved with grace and ease through and around the trees as he raced the wind itself back to his mate. The man in the back of his mind yelled at him to slow down; he didn't **want **to see her. But the wolf, the one in control wouldn't listen. His imprint had become his sole focus.

_Bella_.

His **mate**.

By the time he got his wolf under control, Paul was nearly to the tree line that bordered the back yard of Sam's home. The rest of the pack found it amusing that his wolf had more control of him at times than the man did. They all fell silent however when they saw Emily walk outside with two steaming cups of coffee, one poised for Bella to take.

Said brunette sat on the bench swing with her legs drawn up to her chest and her head on her knees. She looked like she was lost in her own thoughts and didn't even bother to unwind her arms from around her knees in order to take the offered drink. She barely showed Emily any acknowledgement when she sat beside her. She only closed her eyes and drew even more into herself.

Something was wrong. They could all see it.

Jacob growled in agitation. He hated seeing **any **of his friends upset, Bella was no different. Embry and Quil were quick to follow, their own soft growls echoing his as they stared helplessly at their friend. With their sensitive hearing, they could hear the sniffles and knew she tried to keep from crying all together. She didn't like showing emotion to people. She didn't handle it too well.

Sam stopped them with a nip to the heel as they all closed in and came to a rest beside Paul. Even Paul could tell something wasn't right. The girls knew the pack had been chasing a vampire- '_big red_' as Sam had taken to calling her- but they shouldn't be this upset about it. None of the wolves ever came back with major damage done to their person.

Emily sighed and sat closer next to Bella, her body turned towards the other girl. She smiled and held the coffee out to her again, only to frown when Bella refused with a small shake of her head.

"What's the matter Bella? You've been out here alone since the boys left. You barely ate and I can tell there's something on your mind."

"It's nothing Emily. I'm fine."

"I call bullshit! Just because your friends are fooled by that sweet smile of yours, I know better. There's no spark in those eyes of yours anymore." She said with a gentle tone.

Paul forced his wolf to stay quiet as he edged closer. His mind pushed everything else away- including the rest of his brothers- so he could hear the two girls talked about to make them so upset.

"I'll be fine." Bella sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind and it's stressing me out is all."

Her arms wound tighter around her knees as she stared out at the trees. Little did she know, a pack of wolves stared back at her, all of them beginning to worry.

"Tell me why I don't believe you. What's going on Bella? You know you can tell me right? Friends talk to each other."

Bella smiled at the older girl. "It makes you feel so small to sit next to it, doesn't it?"

"What does?" Emily frowned in confusion.

"The forest.. It makes you feel so.. alone sometimes." She murmured.

"You're going to have to spell it out for me, I'm still not following you. What's on your mind?" Emily wondered.

Bella sighed. "I just… I hate that we fight so much. It's fun for a while. But I don't want to fight with him! Ugh. He's so… frustrating! I get that I'm not the ideal imprint… mate… wolf girl, whatever you want to call it, but damn, Emily! Does he hate me THAT much?"

Paul watched the girl staring out at the trees and wondered if he'd been too harsh? A collective, '_yes' _was the answer in his head.

Oh, if wolves could roll their eyes.

"Paul is… he's difficult. He needs time to accept that things change. I'm not making excuses for him, but Bella, in his mind… you were one step away from falling head over heels in love with a vampire… much less being friends with them… he doesn't understand that you don't judge others the way most people do. You tend to see past the flaws- the rest of the pack loves that about you, you know."

Her nose wrinkled. "But I didn't fall in love with him! Edward and I were just friends! It's the same thing with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie! We were **just **friends! There were times when Edward pushed for more, but I always stayed away from him when it got to be too bad." She huffed.

"Deep down he knows that hon. Just give him time. He'll come around, you'll see. I hope you don't think the pack thinks that way…" Emily tried to tell her.

"I'd never… its not that I didn't… I don't want to be tied to someone who's going to hate me for something that I never did! Is it so much to ask that he looks **past **that to just… I don't know… give things a chance?"

Emily wrapped her arm around the girl. "He will. Just give it more time. Stay strong."

"**I'm trying**!" She snapped.

Sam growled causing Paul to growl at him and him to growl back. Jacob only snorted.

Amused the wolves definitely were not.

Emily smiled. "I know." She said.

Bella took a deep breath, counted to ten and released it. "Sorry… I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's not your fault."

"Don't be ridiculous. No woman should have to be that strong all the time. Much less have to deal with the drama and arguments." Emily said with a soft smile.

"_You're a douche, you know that right?"_

"_Fuck you Call. She befriended them. Who the hell does that?"_

"_Her, obviously."_

"_Don't be an asshat, Black. I don't need it right now."_

"_So says the ultimate asshat? Wake up and see what the fuck you're doing to her! They didn't damage her. You're the one damaging her!"_

After Quil snapped at Paul's flank, he phased back to his human form and walked off with a wave over his shoulder. Sam only sighed and turned his attention back to the girls on the back porch. Paul was left to sift through every memory the pack had of Bella and her time spent with them- including her telling them about her time spent with the leeches.

He'd seen what had happened, he'd been there to hear some of what she had gone through with the way Edward always pushed for more. Hell, he knew about the vampires thrall. It sounded like she'd stayed one step ahead of Edward when he'd pressed for more. She even tried to stall in the clearing when she'd been three seconds from becoming a three course meal wrapped up in a perfect warm package to the leech.

Why had he continued to be so harsh then?

He sighed and tried to think of a logical reason. So far he could come up with none other than the fact that she'd befriended a coven of vampires. That in of itself counted as taboo in his book. Even so, had in been it enough to warrant a month of arguments, nit picking, belittling and out right meanness?

A sniffle brought his attention back to the girls. He belatedly realized that all but Sam had been left standing beside him. The others had gone home, not able to take seeing the girl they'd come to think of as a sister so upset over his actions towards her.

"He'll never want me will he?" Her voice sounded so small.

She looked so downtrodden… so weak… nothing like the high spirited woman who had slapped him silly. Sure, she'd damaged her hand in the process… but that woman had fire. This one… this had been his doing.

"Just give it time, Bella. He'll understand what's going on in his head soon enough." Emily cooed.

"I guess so." She sighed. "I'll be alright… I have to be."

Emily frowned and shook her head. "Somehow I know you're lying to me. I just wish I could help."

"You already are." Bella said with a smile.

Emily smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Just… don't lose yourself."

Bella smiled. "I don't think you'd let me."

"Never. And neither would the pack." Emily promised.

Paul's head tilted to the side, taking in everything he'd heard. She was so different than he had given her credit for being. Maybe getting to know her wouldn't be that bad.

Sam only huffed and stood, shaking out his fur. He gave Paul a pointed look before phasing back. Once his cut offs were pulled on and fastened he turned to look at his friend, tilting his head to the side with his eyes narrowed.

"I know you think pushing her away would the best thing to do. Imprinting only shows us our eventual path early... that's all. One way or another, Paul, you two would have ended up together. Try getting to know her instead of being an ass. It won't hurt to let her in and you just might find she's an amazing friend."

That said, Sam walked up the steps of his back porch. He hugged Bella to him, kissed Emily and then sat on the porch floor in between them. Paul watched them for twenty minutes more, in silent debating. He sighed, phased, got dressed and then made his way through the grass towards them.

He greeted Emily with a kiss to her cheek and turned to Bella. He could see her tense, waiting for his usual insults. Instead, he just said..

"You alright Swan?"

Bella couldn't have been more stunned if she'd been told Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and Frosty the Snowman were all real. A smile from Emily told her she wasn't dreaming, but now she was in a whole new ball game.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and nodded.

"Yeah… I'm good."

"Good."

Nothing else was said and the four sat and watched dusk fall over the back yard. It wasn't until dinner needed to be started that Emily moved. Paul was content where he was.. Sitting beside the girl his wolf had chosen to be his mate.


	7. Chapter 6

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**Chapter 6**

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Bella sighed and watched the last of the wolves enter the room. They eyed her before turning questioning eyes to Sam. Pack meetings didn't include imprints- not usually. They'd been waiting for one-

'_Show time_.' Sam sighed.

Bella watched Paul saunter into the den where the pack meetings were held and freeze. She inwardly smirked when he opened his mouth to say something before thinking better of it. He closed his mouth just as quick before shrugging as if he wasn't affected by her presence at all.

"Big Red was seen again." Sam started.

Bella rolled her eyes when the cacophony of growls threatened to drown the room with it's anger. She should have found at least some humor in it, but all she found was exasperation. This wasn't the time. She needed to let them know some of what she did so they were more prepared.

"Are you done yet?" Sam wasn't amused either.

More grumbling was heard before the room was plunged into quiet again. Bella watched them. All of them had their eyes trained on their alpha. She was sure if he said jump, they'd all ask '_how high_?'

"Bella has spent time with the vampires, we all know she still talks to the pixie on occasion- much as we may not agree. She's gained information we may need, which is why she's here now."

Jacob arched an eyebrow. "Like what?" It wasn't hostile.

It was just curious. Jacob could never be angry at Bella.

For anything.

"Bella?" Sam motioned for her to take a post at the front of the room.

"I've been watching the news lately… after I saw a missing person's report for a local guy named Riley it caught my eye. Seattle has started having a lot of disappearances. First it was just the homeless. Then it was low key crooks, people no one would miss. Last time I checked… the count was up to 20. It's not a lot by a city's standards… but to the homicide department- it looks like a serial killer."

Jared arched an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with Victoria?"

"I'm getting there… I told Alice and Jasper about it the last time they called. Jasper said it sounds like Maria's coven and the newborn wars."

"Newborns… like _babies_? Do you know how stupid that sounds?" Quil snorted, the rest of the pack- bar Paul and Sam- snickering.

"No.. no.. newborns- they're what vampires call someone just turned. Someone into their first year of their life as a vampire. They're stronger and faster and easier to attract due to their high, insatiable lust for blood. That's what Jasper said at least."

"Well **that's **just great." Jacob growled. "If she's making an army of the undead, we're kind of screwed."

"_Now _what do we do?" Quil huffed.

At the same time, Embry asked "How do you even know how high the count is?"

"Shut up all of you!"

Bella sent a shy smile in thanks towards Paul. "They told me how to help you. Alice gave me a few pointers to pass along to you."

Sam arched an eyebrow. "Do you think it's sound?"

Bella sighed. Her eyes fell to Jacob who had been nearly killed once- at least she had dreamed it had happened. She looked to Paul who regarded her with a kind of cool aloofness. Finally, she met the steady gaze of the alpha.

"I do with certain things. I listened more to Jasper. He fought in the Southern Wars. Maria turned him during the civil war and kept him for a while to 'train' newborns. She used his gift to keep them lucid while they were ripped apart… kept them calm when they died.."

Sam grunted. "Talk about sadistic."

"Yes well… he says Victoria might be creating an army and you should be well prepared. Find an open area. Make sure there are no large branches- nothing for them to use.. They'll have issues with nothing to use to their advantage other than their strength. The old clearing on the Cullen's side of the treaty line works well according Alice. She said Victoria comes back in a week."

"Well that was generous." Jared snarked. He only rolled his eyes when Sam and Paul shot him looks to hush.

"Jasper also said to remember one thing. Not only are they freakishly strong and fast, but if they get their arms around you completely, you're dead. They'll try to squeeze you to death."

She was met with silence as the wolves took in all she'd told them.

"I think you could do something different from what you've done before; hide your thoughts so you don't hear each other. It makes it feel more real?" She said with some hesitation.

"There's one downfall there, Bella." Jacob said.

She canted her head to the side. "What's that?"

Paul had to shake his head. She hung out with wolves far too often these days.

"We can hear each other. Pack mind, remember?" Embry asked.

Bella's grin looked too mischievous. "Not if you pair up and Sam orders the attackers not to think about what they're going to do."

Paul grinned. He had to admit- to himself- she'd impressed him. "Our wolves would go back to baser instincts. Defend and subdue the threat all at once. It may work."

Sam sighed. "If it helps… I'll try it." He hated using alpha commands.

"Um.. There's something else.." She said dancing from foot to foot with nervousness.

"What's up, Bella?"

She sighed. "Edward told me a few I was his singer. It's a vampires version of a drug. My blood smells more sweet to them and therefore more addicting…"

Paul, Sam and Jacob growled the loudest. She just talked over it.

"If it will help you corral them, it might be easier to fight. They'd not think clear if they went berserk because they smelled my blood in the air."

"No! it's too dangerous! What if they followed your scent as you left?!" Paul growled.

His wolf did NOT like this.

Not in the slightest.

"What if one of you were to change my scent for a while?" She tried.

Jacob arched an eyebrow. "How, Bells? We're wolves, not magicians."

"If I was carried away by you, I might not smell like me… Jasper said you guys stink…" Bella said.

Paul was resigned. He knew how stubborn she could be. And she wanted to keep them safe. They'd become her brothers as well as his. But to his wolf, she was his mate and mates were for life.

"Just a small cut, right?" His wolf was whining- even as he asked with a straight face and even tone.

"You wanna come with me?" She hesitated to ask, but Paul's wolf leapt for joy while doing the snoopy dance.

The other wolves watched the exchange in fascination. Jacob was shocked when Paul sighed and nodded in agreement. He only shook his head, realizing the wolf must be more in control at the moment.

"How long have they been civil now?" Embry asked.

Jared shrugged. "Two weeks or so. Wanna bet it won't last?"

Quil smirked. "I give it another week. Ten bucks says he'll fuck up again."

"I'm in on that." Embry said with a grin.

Jacob merely placed his ten on the table and neglected to speak at all.

_Two weeks. _

They'd lasted two weeks so far. There was no doubt in the pack now that things were beyond weird. Bella wasn't used to the 'new' Paul. The pack had seen him civil- knew he could be considerate, knew him to be a loyal and caring person. Bella didn't know that though, and she wasn't used to it at all. She played along however. She only waited for him to revert back to the argumentative, obnoxious wolf she had first met- and slapped when he'd tried to dominate her.

A tentative friendship had formed between them. Paul going out of his way to help her was a sight to see in of itself. Bella spending time with him- be it running errands or just reading a book in silence- had been something foreign to all of them. It left the younger pack members- all three who had just walked in after finishing patrol- unsettled. They'd come to see Paul and Bella fighting as the norm. They weren't used to this new peace between them yet.

They were cautious now, after the pack meeting at Sam's house. They were all still gathered- save for Embry and Quil who'd gone to run patrol- for some 'down time' in the form of a move of Sam's choice. Emily only rolled her eyes at said choice. The Transporter was a favorite among the pack due to the action, explosions and all around adrenaline rush produced by car chases and gun fire. It still wasn't enough to settle the nerves of the 'pack pups' as they made their way into Sam's living room. They found Paul and Bella sitting together on the couch, nearly touching. There was a relative calm around them that had the wolves staring it awe.

Sam shook his head. Things were good… For now.

Jared had gone to grab his girlfriend Stacey, and bring her back. She wasn't his imprint, but his wolf didn't mind her. She was quiet around the other wolves who didn't appear mind her either. She'd been put in her place a couple times already by them for her flirtatious attitude while Jared was out of the room. They never said a word to Jared, and thus, he was oblivious to it. Sam had only given him a pointed look and told him that he was better to break things off now so when he did imprint it wouldn't do any damage. Jared only shrugged his shoulders, he didn't think he'd imprint.

Paul envied his friend- not that he'd ever tell Bella that. He loved that she'd finally started to relax around him. They got along as far as acquaintances went.. It wasn't until after everyone had settled down and the movie started that Paul noticed Bella getting more and more tense. He nudged her and chuckled when he heard an annoyed sigh from the girl.

He thought nothing more of it until she came back from getting a drink twenty minutes later. She sat down and mechanically handed Paul a can of coke. He followed her gaze and noticed Stacey glaring daggers in Bella's direction.

An inhuman growl tore itself from Paul's lips. The wolf in him didn't like the looks the girl gave his mate. It was a slight towards her, and he would have none of it. The girls remained oblivious- all but for Bella who felt more than heard the growls coming from Paul and turned her attention towards him.

"You ok?" She wondered.

He merely nodded. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

It was at the half way point where the movie was paused and Bella and Emily stood to gather snacks for the wolves. When the girls returned, Bella was tense yet again and Paul wondered why. He once more followed her gaze and had to suppress his growls of agitation. Jared keyed into the growls of his friend- more wolf than man at the moment. His eyes widened when he saw Stacey glaring daggers at Bella.

That confused him. Why would she have anything against the girl?

"Stacey?"

She turned innocent eyes towards him. "Yes?" She all but cooed.

"There a reason you're trying to burn Bella alive with your glare?" He whispered. He was well aware all of the wolves in the room were listening- Paul included.

"I'm not glaring. I've just been watching her. It's hard to think she's dating Paul. They're complete opposites of one another." She said just loud enough that even Bella could hear it.

It was Seth who rolled his eyes and huffed. "Same could be said for you and Jared." He muttered amongst the snickering of the pack.

The look on her face was one of annoyance. It was bad enough she had to put of with the looks. now she'd come to find out that the girl was jealous of her supposed relationship with Paul. All she had to do was look and see that they were friends- tentative ones at that- and nothing more. Not that she'd let the other girl near him. Paul was an imprinted wolf- her wolf..

'_Down girl. Don't think like that. He's not yours_!' She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger to stem the beginnings of a headache. She sighed when she felt Paul nudge her arm- a lupine sense to touch to ensure her content. The man in him, she was sure, could care less at the moment.

Stacey pouted. "We're not **that **different." She whined.

"Alright, alright. Come on guys. The movie is half over, lets finish it." Sam said drawing order to the house again.

Jared sighed and started to take notice of how his girlfriend mooned over his friend. He'd been oblivious. Paul ignored the girl- showing where his loyalties lie (both to Jared **and **to Bella) all the while scooting closer to his imprint. The message was clear. He was only interested in one person- even if he hadn't imprinted on Bella, he wasn't interested in Stacey.

It was then that he finally understood. The hurt in his eyes was caught by everyone but Stacey. She'd given herself away without saying a word. It served to further piss Paul off though. She'd been using his pack brother to try and get to him. She took it out on Bella now because she suffered some delusion that she stood a shot with the tall werewolf.

Even Bella was horrified when she figured out what had happened.

With the movie now finished and the lights on, Emily had made up her mind. "I think it's time for you to go." She said with a polite smile, though there was a hard edge to her tone.

Stacey blinked. No one made to leave. They'd settled in for another movie. "I don't understand why. Everyone's getting ready to watch another movie and I haven't done anything." She tried again for sweet.

"_Yet_." Brady huffed. He was 13 and she'd already made a pass at him while Jared had been out of the room. It made his skin crawl.

It was only after the girl turned her glare on him that Bella found her voice. Her friend had been wronged and with no toes to step on in the form of Jared's relationship with the girl, Bella growled.

The wolves grinned. Bella had been around the pack for too long, not that they had any reason to complain. It was cute.

"I think it's clear you're not welcome here. You were asked to leave. If I were you, I'd heed the request." Bella snapped coming to stand next to Emily.

"Or **what**?! This isn't even your house pale face!" Stacey sneered, all pretenses of sweetness gone.

Bella smirked. "Trash belongs outside and the boys would be **more **than happy to show you to the door." She said while inspecting her nails.

"Why you little **bitch**!" She squeaked with indignation.

Bella arched a brow and looked at Emily. "_Little_? Yes, I am." She started.

Emily nodded in agreement. "You are that."

"_Bitch_? No, I'm a human- not a dog." She shrugged. Even Paul and Jared smirked.

"Why you?" Emily asked.

"_Why me_? Oh, **right**… because Jared's a friend of mine and you **used **him without thinking twice of it. **Now **if _I _were _you_, I'd take my cheating ass off the couch you're sitting on and **walk **out of here before I find one of the boys to **throw **you out with the garbage." Bella growled.

Stacey looked around the room to see all the malicious stares. "Come on Jared! I don't need this!" She snapped.

Jared sighed. "No… we're done Stacey."

She whirled around and stared at Jared in shock before Bella moved into her line of vision.

"It's a pleasure to have met you!" Bella said. "Do me a favor?"

"What?!" She huffed.

"Don't let the door hit your ass too hard on the way out, ok?" She chirped before sitting down to a roar of laughter from her friends.

The front door slammed, muffling their laughter to Stacey. They forgot about her as soon as she left and Bella moved to sit next to Jared. Paul's wolf was quiet as he watched her drawing their pack mate into a friendly hug. To his wolf, she touched Jared as a way to comfort him rather than arouse him. So long as she wasn't in danger of him phasing, Paul let it slide.

The shrill ringing of a phone broke the silence.

"Who on earth?" Sam grumbled about people calling his house at ten at night.

Emily rolled her eyes. They widened when she listened to the voice on the other end. "Of course… come on over Kim. No… it's just a few of Sam's friends and one of mine. Of course not! We'd love the company. Just come on in sweetheart!"

Sam arched an eyebrow. Emily smiled. "Kim's a girl I volunteer with at the community center. Her dad came home drunk again. Her parents have been fighting and it's getting bad. I gave her my number two weeks ago so she could call me. I gave her the address here last time I saw her. She needs someplace safe."

Jacob smirked. "No place safer than here."

Fifteen minutes later, Bella said hello to Kim and introductions to the boys were made. Emily told her that Jared had just broken up with his long time girlfriend so he might not be in the best of moods. When their eyes met, however, the wolves in the room laughed.

Jared had found his mate.

Paul looked at Sam. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Wolves and their bets." Emily muttered.

Bella could only nod in agreement. She smiled at Jared and Kim before brushing it away. Paul still saw it. He kicked himself again for being an asshole and made a promise to himself that he'd try harder to get to know his mate.


	8. Chapter 7

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**Chapter 7**

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Alice had been right. Victoria had come back to tease and torment the pack a week later. She taunted them with vindictive words and painted pictures of how she would end Bella's life- slow and painful. Paul, as a man had grown fond of Bella the more time he spent with her. Paul as a wolf wanted to tear Victoria apart and burn the pieces slow.

Even with the extra patrols, they were still able to train. They'd gotten stronger, faster and worked better as a pack. They now knew what the others would do without thinking about it or having to say it. Sam's alpha order had been worded careful enough that the only time their minds went blank to one another had been while they trained. Sam thanked Emily for helping him figure out how to word said order.

Alice had called again after learning that Riley- the local boy who had gone missing- had been turned along side Victoria. He'd been placed in charge of keeping the newborns in order. Alice had been keeping close tabs on the vampire in charge of Victoria's army now that she knew just who to watch.

The wolves worked hard, and Bella was there for every training session, every meeting, every pack event. She and Paul had earned a fair bit of money to split among themselves as well because of it. They'd taken it from Embry and Quil with smirks on their lips after another week had passed since the initial bet had been made and they were still civil towards one another.

With a shake of her head, Bella drew herself from her thoughts. She'd been sitting in Sam's kitchen working on her homework. It had gotten closer and closer to graduation for her and she hated it. She wanted to be done with school- now.

The wolves were on the hunt again after another sighting of Victoria. They heard Bella's phone ring on their way into Sam's living room. Bella moaned and grumbled about annoying pixies under her breath before answering the call.

"Hi Alice."

Alice chirped her greeting. "Hi Bella. I just wanted to let you know Riley's coming this weekend- Saturday to be exact. You have one more week to finish getting your wolves ready to fight. You may want to suggest Charlie takes his friends fishing. The weather will be great for it- just not in the morning." She said.

"Thank you for the advice, Alice but I have to go. The guys just got back. I need to talk to them about what happened." She said.

"… I could call Edward and have him help them… it's not too late for that. He's in love with you, you know." She giggled.

Bella paled. "**No**! No.. thank you Alice… b-but no… They'll be ok." She watched as the wolves filed in with their proverbial hackles raised at the thought of the leech coming back.

Alice sighed. "If that's the case. I'll talk to you soon- a week from now in fact." She mused.

"Sure, Alice. Bye."

Sam arched an eyebrow at her. "She's… precocious… isn't she?"

"It's the way Alice is." Bella told him with a shrug.

Paul rolled his eyes. "You and your friends, Swan."

"Your **point**?" She snapped.

He blinked and arched an eyebrow. He fought to keep his lips from twitching in amusement.

Bella sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm stressing over homework. It's never ending anymore. Can't I just… I don't know… **wish **it to be finished?"

Jacob snickered. "We're _wolves_, Bells, not genies. Trust me, if that were the case, I'm sure we'd wish to be millionaires or something."

"That's just you, baby alpha." Paul said rolling his eyes.

Jacob growled. He hated that nick name…

"Are you stuck?" Paul asked ignoring Jacob for the time being. As much as he loved teasing him, Bella was frustrated and Paul wanted to help.

"Not per say… just hate math and there's a ton of it left for me to do." She huffed.

"What is it?" He asked taking a seat beside her. He'd always been good with numbers, and let her know it.

The wolves in the room got quiet. Bella hated her space invaded while she did homework. To their surprise, she shoved the thick calculus book under his nose. He took one look at it, grabbed a spare paper and pencil and started to work the problems with her, explaining everything he did. They all shook their heads in wonder.

Their friendship would never be one the wolves would understand. To the rest of them, Paul was still temperamental and obnoxious. He loved nothing more than to goad Jacob, Quil and Embry into roughhousing and fights, and he needled the other pack 'pups' to the point of tears on a good day. But with Bella? She was an anomaly hadn't planned to find. It was a welcomed one though if he wanted to admit it.

Two hours later found Bella at home with Paul sitting at the kitchen table talking to her while she made dinner. She'd invited him over as payment for his help with her calculus. He'd hesitated at first because for those two hours, they'd be alone in her house.

Now, as he watched her dance around the kitchen, preparing what looked to be the makings of an amazing dinner- rosemary and herb roasted chicken with potatoes, green beans and homemade biscuits- he couldn't help but stare in awe. She caught him staring after she had placed dinner in the over and titled her head to the side. She still couldn't figure him out sometimes.

"What's wrong?" She wondered.

He didn't see anything wrong. He'd never seen her so confident. She owned the kitchen. He shook his head and moved closer to her. She'd gotten a small bit of paprika smudged on her cheek. He figured it had been from using the back of her hand to brush her wayward hair from her eyes.

Bella bit her bottom lip and chanced a look up into his eyes as he brushed her cheek clean. Just like the first time, the world fell away. A serene quiet fell over them as Paul rested the hand that had brushed her cheek clean on the back of her neck. His other hand rested on her waist, daring not to move anywhere else.

Her hands found themselves brushing up his torso to rest on his biceps. Her eyes searched his, wondering what went rolling through his head in that moment. A magnetic force had started drawing them closer together she wasn't sure if it was the man or the wolf she held at the moment. Her lips parted, just enough for her tongue to dart out and wet her bottom lip before being dragged between her bottom teeth.

His eyes were riveted to the action and he found himself gulping. She was just.. So different than he ever thought she would be. The pull to know her, to own her heart- to give her his… it was nearly too much right now. He was close enough now for their lips to barely brush against one another- mere feather light touches. The wolf in him was quiet- content to let the man hold their mate for the first time- which only made it that much more real to Paul.

A throat clearing from the door way shattered their quiet. Bella and Paul leapt apart and turned to see Charlie with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smirk on his face.

"Something I should know?" Charlie asked.

Bella blushed crimson and turned her back to them. "You're home early." She said before her throat clenched in embarrassment.

"Yeah… the guys forced me to take some leave. The Seattle thing… it's draining all of us." He said with a sigh. "So who's your boyfriend?"

"DAD!" Bella huffed. "We're just… we're friends."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. He saw her shoulders drop and then saw the pain pass by in Paul's eyes as he watched Bella. He rolled his own eyes then.

Teenagers.

Putting his 'professional face' on, he pointed to the porch. "Outside son. Let's talk while she finished dinner."

Paul nodded. Even his wolf knew that this person was important to their mate. He was her sire in the wolf's eyes. He'd respect that. Besides, it was an ill known fact that Paul and the chief were old acquaintances. He was the one to help Paul when things went to hell in a hand basket for him as a young boy.

"It's been a while, Paul. Time's done you good though. Billy tells me you're doing well." He said eying the boy beside him. He looked like a man, even if he wasn't one yet.

"Yes sir. I'm helping Sam out now with policing the tribe."

Charlie smirked. "And getting to know Bella."

"yeah… um… about that… I'm… I…" Paul didn't know what to say. He wasn't sorry for nearly kissing her. He would have done so if Charlie had been a few short minutes later getting home.

"You know.. She's not had it easy with romance. The last guy who was interested in her was a real piece of work." Charlie mused.

Paul nodded. "I heard. He didn't deserve her…"

"How'd you meet her?"

"Through Jake. Sam, Jared and I were on our way to his house. She was there to talk to him. I said something rude to her and she slapped me. And that's how we met."

Charlie laughed at that. "That sounds like her. Not the slapping part- that's new."

Paul shrugged. "It makes for an interesting story though. How many girls can you say you're friends with who have slapped you first?"

"Not too many. My count is still at zero." Charlie grinned. He sighed. "Just don't hurt her. That's all I ask."

Paul's smile was small. "I don't think I could. She's special… one of a kind."

Anything else said was cut off when Bella stepped out onto the porch with drinks in her hand. "You two done posturing yet?" She teased before handing her dad a beer and Paul a coke.

"Funny Bells. Dinner ready?" Charlie asked.

"15 minutes left." She said sitting on the top step with her back to the porch rail.

"Can't wait!" Charlie grinned.

Ten minutes later the rain had started coming down hard enough to force Bella closer to where Paul sat. She only sighed. "I hate the rain sometimes."

"Weather reports said its supposed to be clear this weekend." Paul mused. He didn't miss the gentle smile he got from Bella for it.

"Huh.. I'll have to call Billy and Harry. I've got some time off now. You wanna go fishing with us Bella?" Charlie asked.

"I think I'm gonna hang out with Jake, Quil and Embry. They want to go cliff diving. I'm gonna watch them be idiots." She grinned.

Charlie shook his head. "Suit yourself. I'm gonna go call Billy and Harry. Set it up before dinner."

Bella shook her head in amusement when Paul slid down to sit beside her. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before looking away.

"What was that for, Swan?"

"Helping me. Again. I didn't know how to tell him about this weekend. You didn't have to help me with my homework either, but you did."

Paul only shook his head. "Charlie helped me when I was little. My home life… sucked for lack of a better word. He'd come and help out when he could. So… if this helps to keep him safe…"

Bella's head found it's way to his shoulder without thinking about it; they'd started getting more affectionate lately and moments like the one she found herself in with him just watching the rain didn't phase her anymore. She treated him the way she did with the other wolves. The whispered, 'thank you' went left unanswered as they spent time in silence while dinner finished making.

When the timer went off, Paul helped Bella to her feet and they made their way into the kitchen. Dinner was a pleasant affair filled with giggles from Bella as Charlie filled her in on the antics at the station. Paul watched her interact with her father. It was apparent how close they were and he had to smile. She wasn't guarded right now. This was who she was. Selfless, fair, gentle, loving, loyal.. This was his mate.

( ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ )

Bella woke to early morning rain pelting against her bedroom window. Charlie had just left. The headlights rolled across her wall as he pulled out of the driveway and headed to Billy's to gather his two best friends for a weekend of fishing. He'd grumbled the night before when he found out it'd be raining for three hours or so in the morning before it'd be clear skies. Bella only shook her head when Seth and Jacob had said the same thing about their own dads. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and arched an eyebrow when they fell on a figure sitting at her desk.

Charlie found it odd that Paul was here this early in the morning but he thought nothing of it when he said Jacob had asked him to pick her up and bring her to the cliffs. The truck had been giving Bella some problems and Paul had been asked to give her a ride in his car. He'd told him he could watch whatever he wanted to on the TV and left. He trusted Paul and Bella.

"Paul?"

He grinned. "Morning."

"You DO realize it's only like 7 in the morning, right?" She couldn't be mad at him though. Try as she might.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but… I'm a morning person." He grinned.

Bella sighed. "Alright, come on then. I'll make us some breakfast then we can head out to the clearing."

"I still don't like it, you know." He grizzled.

She smiled and gave him a hug. "I know."

"I do. Don't let any of them get their arms around you!" She said.

"Never. They'd have to catch us first." He grinned.

"Hey, Paul?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated. "Kick ass."

He laughed. "Definitely."

She watched him go and smiled. She had been on the verge of telling him how she felt- that she'd gotten attached to the volatile wolf. But they refused to leave her mouth. Instead, she walked back inside and locked the door. It would be a waiting game now. With a sigh, she sat down on the couch and pulled a book close to her. She was lost on the world of Elizabeth Bennett before she knew it.


	9. Chapter 8

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**Chapter 8**

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Victoria was livid. She'd been so sure that her plan would work. Now as she and Riley sat in the tree tops, they watched their plan unravel. The wolves- mutts protecting the Cullen's pet- had destroying the army hellbent on killing Bella Swan.

"How did they even know?" Riley hissed.

Victoria moaned. "Of course! The seer! She must have known and warned them."

"Why is the girl not here?"

"If she's not here they've hidden her. I will find her. My friends will be avenged."

Riley's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Of course they will." He cooed.

For her part, Victoria merely nodded her agreement. She thought about the places the girl could be. "Her house!" She finally said. "Her father will know where she is."

"You'd kill him to find your answers?" Riley seemed taken aback.

"Riley… they're food. Nothing but sheep." She huffed.

"Alright. Lets go." He sighed.

The pair were startled when they caught sight of more wolves circling just inside the trees. Victoria's eyes lit up when she caught sight of Bella in the kitchen window. Things had just gotten easier. She was just about to leap down from the trees when one of the wolves circled under the tree where she and Riley sat.

"Wait! Look!" Riley hissed.

Bella made her way out to the wolves with a basket of food for them. Victoria giggled with glee. "So unassuming… so stupid."

It was too easy.

Seth phased back and blanched. "Bella! You need to get back inside, please! Paul and Sam will kill us if they know you're out here."

"I can't not feed you three. You're working to keep me safe too you know." Bella huffed.

Brady was the next to phase back. "Bella! Seth is right. It's not safe yet. You shouldn't even be **here**! You should have gone back to the rez!"

"I'm going back inside, ok? And I told you, I won't put anyone else in harms way. You guys shouldn't even be here, but you are.. So this is my thanks." She said before hugging them.

A bone chilling laugh behind them had the two wolves growling and Bella frozen in fear. She turned and came face to face with the red head who'd been tormenting the pack for the past few months.

"How touching. It's too bad the three of you will die anyways."

"Victoria." Bella gulped and stepped backwards.

For her part, Victoria raised her eyebrow. "_Funny_, I don't remember telling **you **my name."

"Laurent did… just before the wolves killed him." Bella snapped.

"Bella." Brady warned.

"You should listen to your friend, _little girl_." Riley said from his place against a tree trunk behind them.

Seth whirled around and growled. They'd been cornered and he didn't like it. His hackles raised and all he needed was enough room to phase. Riley seemed to sense it and was on him in the second it took for Bella to blink. She yelled when Seth went sailing through the trees before slamming into a rather old maple tree with a thick trunk.

Her horror was doubled when Brady was tackled in front of her and flung against the same tree. Both wolves lay unconscious, their human bodies not able to stand the assault as well as their wolf forms would. As a duo, the vampires prowled towards the boys. Bella panicked. If she didn't do something now, Seth and Brady wouldn't survive. Her eyes lit up with determination when she felt the knife in her hoodie pocket.

"Victoria! Leave them alone!" Bella hissed.

"Or what? Will **you **attack me next _pet_?" She sneered.

They didn't take into account that Sam told Collin to stay back until they got there. He'd seen it all through the pack mind and while he felt grateful that Bella wanted to take care of the wolves- Seth was right- he was aggravated that she hadn't stayed in the house. Paul was even more so.

When Riley continued towards a sprawled out, unconscious Brady, Bella had had enough. She used the pocket knife to slice the skin of her palm open. Her blood filled the air around them, causing both Riley and Victoria to fixate on her. It gave Collin the opportunity he needed to attack Riley. His body was torn into pieces by an annoyed wolf pup before he had the chance to scream.

"Hey mutt!" Victoria grinned when Collin turned and growled at her. "Don't even think about it." She snapped when he took a step towards her. She held Bella close to her so he could see.

"_Sam… what do I do_?" Collin was frantic as he watched Victoria run her nose along Bella's jaw.

"_She's taunting you. We're nearly there_!" Jacob huffed.

"_Hurry up guys! She looks half mad with blood lust."_

"Victoria. Let him go." Bella tried to order her.

Victoria laughed. "And why **would **I? He's due to be put to sleep. He's just a mutt after all." She hissed. "I'll have fun toying with him after you're dead and gone."

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have by now." Bella muttered. "I think you're scared. You're not match for a wolf on your own."

"Shut it. That **pup **has nothing on me." She growled.

"Even James went off on his own. That day he found me. I think he wanted to be away from you." Bella winced when Victoria's nails dug into her skin.

Collin kept pacing. They were nearly free of the newborns. He just had to keep the leeches attention until then. Bella would be ok- unless she kept running her mouth.

_Like now._

Victoria hissed at the girl in her arms. "You know **nothing **pet! He loved me!" Her grip tightened to the point her bones snapped.

Tears ran down Bella's cheek but she refused to scream. Whimpers escaped her as she tried to think past the pain racing up her arm. "How can someone love a pebble in their shoe? In your case, a girl who thinks she knows how to handle a man."

"You little **bitch**!" Victoria hissed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't looking to replace you. You didn't make him happy." Bella said with a smirk.

It got replaced with a gasp of pain when Victoria flung her into a rather sharp branch. Her side was cut open by the vampire's nails and before she knew it, Victoria had her by the throat with an angry hiss coming from her lips.

"You. are. _nothing_! You know **nothing**. No one even **wants **you! You were a **pet **to the Cullen's you're a **pet **to the wolves! **They **_don't _love you!" She took great pleasure in raking her nails down Bella's side.

Paul growled as he raced towards Bella. She was long past the point of trying to keep the painful cries suppressed. He watched as Collin made a swift decision and barreled into Victoria's side while she'd been distracted by taunting Bella to get up after her ankle had been broken. He saw Bella drop to the ground, her breath coming in labored pants. She'd made a target of herself to keep Brady and Seth from being killed. She'd kept the attention off of Collin just long enough for him to take advantage of it. And she'd bought the pack precious time in order to destroy her.

Sam and Jacob pounced after Collin, attacking her and wearing down her defenses. First went her legs- up to her knees. Then went her hands so she was unable to scratch any more than she had. It was Paul though who's wolf went feral at the sight of a now unconscious Bella. He shouldered his way towards the red headed vampire, malice and an intent to kill mirroring in his eyes.

Victoria hissed at him, her eyes wild with fear and panic. She started crawling away on the stumps of arms she had left. Paul let her for a minute before he pounced and raked his razor sharp claws down her sides. He backed away again, circling her to see where next she'd try to flee. Another minute found him taking a bite from her shoulder. Another minute more found her left arm gone and burning.

"End it Paul we need to get Bella to the hospital! Now!" Jacob called.

Paul growled deep in his chest. With a final attempt to flee, Victoria's eyes widened at the sight of gaping jaws coming closer to her. Mere seconds later, her head was ripped from her body with the satisfactory sound of grating metal.

The rest of the pack had shown up then. With careful ease, Quil and Embry picked Seth and Brady up to carry them away. It left Sam, Paul, Jacob and Jared to carry Bella.

The doctor in charge of healing the pack took one look at Bella and asked to know exactly what had happened to her. When Paul told him she'd used herself as bait against a vampire in order to keep both Brady and Seth safe while they were unconscious, the man's eyes welled with tears. He promised them he'd do his best and hurried to stabilize her after Jacob told them her blood type. He had to remind Paul just how close his family was to hers before he phased out of jealousy.

"We have to think of something to tell her dad." Sam said as they sat in the waiting room of the tribal clinic.

"Tell him we went for a hike. Because of the rain she slipped and fell down the side of the old ravine down Black Crow trail." Jacob said.

"And the scratches? The bruises that look like she was choked?" Jared needled.

"She got caught up by her hoodie. There's a lot of jagged rocks down that trail. And if we need, we can pound on one another to get bruising too." Sam offered.

Paul was quiet. His mind showed him over and over every time he'd needled at her or spoken ill of her. How many times had he judged her or sneered in her direction? She'd kept it all locked in- the pain of it. He felt it but he'd ignored it. Then he'd heard her talking to Emily. He wanted to tell her that he'd fallen for her before he left her house. Something told him to tell her. Yet again, he'd ignored it.

"Paul?"

He didn't acknowledge them. His pack mates looked to one another- each with worry in their eyes- before turning back to him. Hands landed on his shoulders to offer a small respite to the pain he felt now. He'd wronged his own imprint in **so **many ways. How had he not seen it?

"Paul! Easy!"

Sam caught him as he fell to the floor, the pain racking his body finally hitting him full force. "Come on, Paul. She'll be ok. She's a fighter!"

"I can't… it hurts."

Jacob must have known what he meant. He knelt beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "We're not gonna lose her. She'll pull through this."

The doctors tried to call Charlie, Billy and Harry, but the area they'd gone to fish had poor cell service. Bella was a legal adult in the state of Washington which had given then the permission they needed to do the transfusion she needed but the clinic still preferred to notify her next of kin. Charlie was the chief of police in Forks- and best friends with the chief of the tribe. The last thing they needed would be something going wrong.

Once she was in a room of her own, Paul took a seat and refused to move. Jared, Sam and Jacob had sat in with him for an hour before leaving to their respective homes. They promised to bring the rest of the pack by to see her later. Emily, to be sure would want to see her whether she was awake or not.

Paul sighed and leaned his head against the wall with his eyes closed. The doctor told him she hadn't had any internal bleeding, just blood loss due to her many wounds, which caused her to lose consciousness. Her body was recuperating, and with the blood transfusion, she would more than likely wake within the next few hours. Her right shoulder had been dislocated and fixed and her broken bones- her left arm, left wrist and right leg- had all been set.

He grabbed her hand in his and stared at her. "I kicked ass, Swan." He told her. "You were right… no one was hurt. You had faith in us, so now I'm gonna offer you the same courtesy. Just… wake up, ok?"

"Paul.."

His head turned to look towards the door. Emily stood there watching him with a sad smile on her face.

"Hey Em.."

"You ok?"

"I'm trying. I was… and she's just…"

Emily smiled. "You still have time. She's a fighter." She said moving to sit next to him.

"I know that. She didn't deserve the way I treated her. I acted so harsh."

She nodded in agreement. "You were."

He smiled wryly. "Hit a wolf when he's down huh."

"Nope. I just agree with you. I also think you're punishing yourself too harsh."

His eyebrow arched in question. "You don't think I deserve the self hatred I feel right now?"

"Paul, when have I ever thought bad about any of the wolves?"

"ok… ok… but… how do I make it up to her?"

"Do you love her?"

"The _wolf _does."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Do **you **love her?"

"I want to Em." He looked up at her in shock of what he'd just said.

For her part, she hid the smug smile. She'd known how the two felt about one another for a long time. "Then I suggest you keep doing what you're doing. You can only grow closer. Treat her right, Paul. She deserves that. Respect her. She'll do the same to you. No relationship is perfect- the way you two used to fight. I know you though. You have your moments when you can be an ass… but you'd give the shirt off of your back to a friend. Be that to her. Be a friend first, a lover later."

"You think she wants me like that?"

"Paul… it's _you_. You could charm a rock to dance." She teased.

He didn't even bat an eye. He merely smirked. Just like that, the doubts and insecurities fell away. He shook his head and sighed. "We'd be kinda lost without ya, Em. Sam's lucky to have you."

Emily smiled. "I just wish sometimes it'd been different."

"Leah will understand. In time." He told her.

"You sure?"

"Positive. She'll understand."

Emily nodded to Bella. "So will she. Just, be yourself." She said before kissing his cheek and making her way out of the room.

It left Paul alone with his thoughts again. He usually didn't mind the quiet, but now, seeing Bella laying there so still without a smile on her face, he didn't like it one little bit. He sighed and settled in for a long wait. He'd have to tell Charlie tomorrow that his daughter had been injured and he wasn't sure he had the strength to do it without some sleep first.


	10. Chapter9

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**Chapter 9**

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Paul sighed and glanced at the clock ticking steady from its place on the wall. Bella had been laying under the stiff blankets in the clinic's recovery bed for nearly 24 hours now. A cast for her left wrist and arm and a cast for her right ankle stood out against the crisp white covers laying over her. She could have been sleeping, but Paul knew better. She'd withdrawn into herself.

If only he knew the hell she'd found for herself.

'_Jacob lay out on his bed, half of his upper body wrapped in a temporary cast to help his bones heal the correct way. She'd just told him, even after everything they'd been through on the mountaintop- after the kiss they'd shared there- that she'd chosen Edward._

_The looks she got outside had her in near tears. She couldn't tell the wolves about her deal with the Volturi. She couldn't tell them the REAL reason she'd be leaving them. Not after what they'd just done to rid their land of a serious vampire threat. She'd not replace one for the other. Instead she dealt with their rejection- their anger. She tried to make eye contact, but not even Quil or Embry would look at her._

_Paul though- who she'd always had a secret crush on- drove it home how unwelcome she'd become. He spat on the ground at her feet. "We should have let her kill you. Jacob wouldn't be inside suffering now."_

"_That's enough Paul!" Sam ordered._

_Jared sighed. "It just goes to show, the ones we love have the power to hurt us the most." He said before walking away. He'd lost his respect for her too._

_Sam nodded in agreement but said no more. The disappointment in his eyes forced more tears to fall. She'd come to see him as something of a big brother in their time together._

_Paul growled. "Just go away leech lover! No one __**wants **__you here. No one __**needs **__the trouble you have following you. You'll be dead and gone and we'll __**finally **__be at peace!" His words nearly killed her where she stood.'_

Paul watched as the heart monitor that had been racing smoothed itself out as he ran his thumb over her wrist. He'd heard of the wolves' touch being able to soothe the imprint and vice versa, but he'd never seen it until now. He was just thankful it had worked. He hated seeing her like that. If he'd been faster- but Emily had been right too, he needed to stop blaming himself.

He moved his head closer to hers and started to speak. His voice whispered to her in hushed coos and soft tones. He spoke in Quileute and sang an old lullaby his grandmother had sung to him whenever he'd been scared. He doubted she'd understand the words, but they calmed both of them none the less.

The nurse who'd come to check on Bella watched from the doorway. She couldn't help by smile. She'd never seen that kind of love in such a young couple. She cleared her throat and walked into the room on quiet feet.

"Everything alright?" She asked, hating to break up the tender moment.

Paul nodded. "I think she had a nightmare."

"Alright then." She nodded noting Bella's vitals on her chart. "We contacted her father finally. He, Mr. Black and Mr. Clearwater will be here after a while." She said from the doorway.

Paul nodded. "Thanks."

A feminine throat clearing had Paul jolting awake. An hour had passed from the time the nurse had been in to check Bella's vitals and now. Was he that tired?

"Paul."

He smiled. "Hey girls."

"How is she?" Kim asked.

At the same time Emily asked, "How are you?"

They all shared a laugh. "We're both good. The doctor said she should come around today. Her body has had plenty of time to rest." He finally told them.

Kim offered him a one armed hug before sitting down in an empty chair near Bella's bed. Emily did the same and within a few minutes the three were encased in a peaceful silence.

Said silence broke five minutes later by the gurgling of Paul's stomach. Kim coughed to hide her giggle and Emily only shook her head.

"When's the last time you ate Paul?" Kim asked.

Paul shrugged. "Yesterday?" Emily huffed and narrowed her eyes causing him to blush.

"Why don't you come over to my house. I'll cook for you and Jared." She offered.

"I'm aright. Someone needs to be here if she wakes up, you know?" He said with a smile.

Emily scoffed. "What am I? chopped liver?"

Paul's eyes bulged. "No! No, I didn't mean it like that!" He blanched at the thought that he'd offended one of the few friends he had.

Emily only chuckled. "Paul, go get something to eat. I'll sit here with her until you get back. And make sure you get some sleep too."

Paul sighed. "Sure thing Emily."

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella moaned at the insistent beeping that disturbed her sleep. She tried to find the cause of the noise only to frown when she couldn't move her hand. She blinked and opened her eyes, wincing in pain as she did. This wasn't her room. A frown passed over her face as she took in the simple earth tones of the room.

"Bella, hey, you're awake."

Bella turned her head towards the voice and found Emily's smiling face. "Where am I?"

"You're in the reservation clinic. Do you remember why?" She checked.

"I shot my mouth off to a vampire." Bella grizzled.

Emily nodded. "Yeah… not one of your brighter moments, but it saved three boys' families from placing them in the ground. For that, the tribe- the _elders as well as the pack at least_\- want to thank you."

She swallowed hard. "Was… are they… is everyone ok?"

"Of course sweetie. We've been worried about you though. Even Kim only just dragged Paul out of here." Emily said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's going to be upset that he wasn't here when you finally opened your eyes." She teased.

Bella frowned. "Paul?"

"Mhm." Emily said with a soft smile. "He misses you, you know."

"Him or his wolf?" She couldn't hide the bitterness from her voice.

Emily sighed. "Him AND his wolf. I wish the imprints had their own version of the pack mind. I would love to show you just what I know."

"Are you so sure though, Emily. I mean… if anything I'm just a friend to him." She sighed.

Emily took Bella's hand in her own. "Do you want something more from him?"

"How'd you know?" Bella shot her a sideways look and bit her lip.

"Oh, honey. It's clear to everyone but you and Paul. You two feel the pull don't you?" Emily wondered.

"I don't know if it's a pull… but I want to be around him. I love spending my time with him. I love just sitting next to him. I feel safe." She blushed.

Emily smiled. "That's the pull." She said tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Can I tell you something, Emily, without you judging me?"

"You can tell me anything you want. You know that." She told her with a smile.

"Will it stay a secret?" She wondered.

Emily smiled. "I swear I won't tell a soul. And I promise, there aren't any wolves in the building either. The clinic is closed for lunch. There are only a few nurses here to check on patients."

Bella swallowed. "I knew about her… Victoria I mean. Her, and James and Laurent, the pack… all of it."

Emily stared at her for a long minute. "How?" There was no judgment, only curiosity.

"When I hit my head on the ice last year? I woke up in the hospital. But… before then… it was like I'd lived a lifetime in the time I was unconscious. I saw myself coming to Forks, I saw myself falling in love with and finding out about Edward Cullen. Then he left me- after a surprise party- I was a mess for a long time. Then I learned about the wolves because I slapped Paul. I knew he'd phase in front of me… but he didn't imprint on me the first time around though. I messed up so much… friendships… relationships with family… even the pack hated me…"

Emily smiled. "The spirits have blessed you then, Bella Swan."

"How's it a blessing? I caused so much damage?"

Emily took her face in her hands. "Because, you get to right the wrongs and live again. You get to learn from your mistakes. Let go of the pain and guilt- I can see it in your eyes before you ask me how I knew- and just… live."

Bella smiled. "I guess, it's the least I can do, huh." She said with a sigh.

Emily could only agree. "Let's hope things will stay different this time."

"If that don't, Edward will profess his undying love to me and I'll go with him. I don't like thinking about that." She said with a shudder.

"Good. Then we won't." Emily grinned.

A knock on the door alerted them to the fact the clinic had once again opened. Emily smiled and invited whoever it was to come into the room. The girls smiled when Sam walked in followed by Jacob.

Bella gasped. "Jake! What happened to you?!"

"Calm down sweetie." Emily cooed patting her hand.

"I'm fine Bells. They're just flesh wounds." Jacob teased.

Bella bit her lip and nodded. "She's dead then?"

Sam nodded. "She's dead, yes. But you forget, we will be too when Charlie comes back. We left him a message that said you slipped and fell down the ravine on Black Crow Trail. That's why Jake looks like that."

"He fell in after me?" She tried.

"No, more like I dived head first in to save you and ended up getting cut up on the sharp rocks too." Jacob grinned. "Paul pulled you out though." He added giving her a look.

Bella huffed. "I'm sorry, you guys."

"For what?" Sam wondered.

"It wouldn't have happened if I'd not stopped my truck." She huffed.

Sam shook his head. "Bella… you're are the most innately good person I know- save for Emily. If you hadn't of stopped then, he would have found you another way. Things happen for a reason. Now hush. I'm gonna let Paul back in so long as you promise to cheer up ok?" He teased.

"Couldn't keep me out anyway." An amused voice sounded.

Bella gave them smile. "Hi Paul."

Emily moved in order to let Paul have the seat closest to her. "Hey. How do you feel?"

"Like I pissed off the wrong vampire." She quipped.

Paul shook his head. "I don't know if I should hug you or throttle you, Swan. You scared the hell out of us!" He forgot that his pack mates were still in the room.

"I know.. It was stupid. I just didn't want to see Seth or Brady die. And poor Collin couldn't have defended me and them at the same time." She reasoned.

"Shh. The pack owes you big time, lets just leave it at that alright?" He let his index finger trace her cheek before his hand cupped her face pulling her forehead towards his. It was the most affection he'd ever shown her.

Emily smiled and held her hand out to Sam. Even Jacob took the hint that they were better off alone right now. He sighed and closed the door behind him. They needed the time alone more than he needed to see her at the moment.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Paul sat up with a growl when he heard the commotion in the hallway. He settled himself down when he realized it was Charlie. He leaned over and shook Bella to wake her. Her bleary gaze met his before the door opened.

"Bells!"

Bella sighed. "I'm ok dad. Just banged up, that's all."

"Just- look at you! If you hadn't been with the boys…" He sighed. "No more hikes. Period!" He grizzled. "I mean it! None. Ever."

She smiled and let a tired chuckle escape. "Sure. But you know if it's not that, it'll be something else, right?"

"Not if I have my way." He huffed before turning to Paul. "I don't know how to tell you thank you enough." He said.

Paul blushed. "Jake tried to get to her first. We were just smarter than to go diving after her."

Charlie chuckled and shook his head. He looked tired, and even Bella could see it. "Kiddo, I'm gonna go catch a nap. You're old man is tired after the drive. The panic didn't help either."

It was then that Sue Clearwater had walked into the room. She overheard what Charlie said and smiled. "Hey you guys. I'm gonna check Bella's vitals. And Charlie, you're more than welcome to use the couch in the back of the clinic. It's comfortable and you wouldn't have to worry Bella by driving all that way."

Charlie grinned. "Would do her some good. Teach her a lesson about making her old man worry so much."

"You're lucky I can't walk right now!" She grizzled.

Paul, Sue and Charlie laughed. "No more than six weeks." Sue promised. She noted Bella's vitals and told her if she still felt well after four more hours, the doctor would come in to see her then allow her to go home. Charlie waved bye to her and followed Sue to the back. His eyes closed and he fell asleep before his head even hit the arm rest.

Paul shifted. He felt eyes on him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood when a howl sounded. Another howl followed the first. Something wasn't right. He glanced at the girls, worry gnawing at his stomach.

"I gotta go…" He told Emily and Bella.

They nodded. They knew he needed to protect his tribe too. The phase came easy for Paul once he was in the woods. It didn't take him long to figure out why he'd been so uneasy.

"_What the hell does __**he **__want?!"_

"_We caught him watching you and Bella_!" Quil growled and snapped at Edward Cullen's heels.

"_He knows we're fine! The pixie can see that_!" Embry huffed. He stopped at the treaty line and growled.

Edward turned and tilted his head to the side. "Alice can't see you. She could see the vampires, and of course Isabella. But now she's gone. I wanted to make sure she was still alive."

"_She's none of your concern! You realize we could declare war on your coven now_!" Sam growled stepping out of the trees.

"Isabella will always be my concern. She's my singer, and my love. When she's better, please, tell her I'll be in touch. The family's moving back, though we're staying in seclusion further back on our territory."

Paul growled. All he knew, was that he had to get back to Bella. He didn't want her to be alone after he'd just realized what it meant to have her next to him. Things would definitely have to change.


	11. Chapter 10

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**Chapter 10**

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Edward sat in the living room of the new Cullen house, staring into the trees. How **dare **that god forsaken, mangy, flea bitten mutt put his paws on Bella?! His thoughts alone were enough to warrant his demise. He'd heard every word she'd spoken in the clinic to the alpha's mate. She'd dreamed of him. She loved him, he knew that now. And she'd stay with him after he found a way to make her his completely.

Alice flew into the room and wagged a finger in his face with an angry scowl on hers. "Don't you **dare **try it!" She hissed. "You do that and you're **dead**!"

"Ali.. Come here darlin'… what's he gone and done now?" Jasper cooed.

Alice calmed as she fell into Jasper's arms. "He wants Bella for his mate. Bella's not for him or I would have seen it."

"She's my mate!" He snarled.

"Someone's cranky… drink some bad blood last night?" Rosalie snickered.

Emmett did little to hide his smirk. His arms went around her waist before pulling her back to him. His lips moved to her neck as he watched Edward. He grinned when he heard the huff of disturbance. He finally moved to kiss her cheek.

"Now, now Rosie…" He cooed. "We mustn't tease him. He only wants her for the blood. She'd never live long enough for the change. Isn't that right, Eddie? Or don't you remember nearly killing her **once **already?"

"Why you insufferable, perverse, dimwitted, childish _Neanderthal_!" He hissed. Edward used his gifted speed to land a solid left hook to Emmett's cheek before anyone could stop him.

Emmett's mind cleared and the playful boy turned into a gruesome monster. Rosalie smirked. "You're in **so **much trouble." She chimed with glee.

It was after Emmett had tackled Edward out of the open French doors that Esme and Carlisle returned. They appeared shocked to see flowers ripped from the garden beds, deep ruts in the grass and more broken tree limbs than they cared to count at the moment. Jasper shook his head and watched from the balcony with Rosalie to his left and Alice to his right as the two fought.

"What on Earth happened?!" Carlisle wondered.

"Your first created started the physical fight. Your third created started the verbal conflict that led up to said fight." Jasper said in offer of an explanation.

Esme sighed. "That's enough you two."

It didn't help.

Edward used a large tree limb like a club and swung it at a smirking Emmett. He wasn't prepared to be tackled into the ground by Emmett, leaving a hole when the two stood. Edward glared at Emmett who had cleared his mind of anything other than the fight.

"**Boys**!" Carlisle yelled.

Emmett landed one more underhanded punch to Edward's stomach, sending him 100 yards back, before turning to Carlisle. "I said _nothing _that wasn't true." He shrugged.

"You **lie**!" Edward hissed before tackling him.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, Alice shook her head and Esme clicked her tongue. "Face it Edward, she's your _singer_, nothing more. You'd destroy her before you had a chance to turn her." Rosalie snapped.

Everyone froze at the hard look in Carlisle's usually gentle amber eyes. "Tell me I didn't hear you correct, Rosalie.."

"Carlisle, I-" Edward was silenced by a single look.

Rosalie smirked. "You heard me correct, Carlisle."

Carlisle shook his head. "You'll stay **away **from Bella Swan, so help me Edward. She's been a friend to us and she's the **only **reason this family's not a heaping pile of ashes right now!" He hissed.

"Why would we be ash right now? We only just got back." Emmett wondered.

Edward's eyes widened. "Carlisle… no…"

"Edward crossed the treaty line two days ago in search of Bella. She persuaded the tribal elders to issue him an ultimatum and keep us out of it instead of killing us all."

"What's their ultimatum?" Esme asked, fear evident in her eyes.

"Edward stays with one of us at all times and we let the wolf pack patrol through Forks at their leisure and we live."

"_Or_?" Jasper pressed.

"We're treated like every other threat." Carlisle sighed.

"There's only five… six at the most… we can take 'em!" Emmett grinned trying to ease the tension with a joke. Rosalie gave him a small smile but not much else.

"There are nine… I asked as a courtesy." Carlisle corrected.

Edward growled. "How is this fair?! Bella is mine! Those dogs have been clouding her judgment!" He huffed.

Esme had finally had enough. "Edward, you will leave Bella alone! She's been good to us. I'll not see you make her life uncomfortable as repayment. Boys, you'll accompany Edward whenever he's not in the house. Girls, you'll see to it he's kept in your company inside the house. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a yard to fix." She snapped. Jasper and Emmett were quick to follow her.

Edward frowned. This put a damper in his plans. He'd have to bide his time now for the most opportune moment. He sighed and made his way to his room. He scowled when both of his so called sisters followed after him.

"Whatever you're thinking, just know, if the wolves don't get to you first, I'll tear you apart limb from limb. Bella is the only person in a few decades to show us ANY sort of genuine kindness. I'll not see her cursed to a life of eternity." Rosalie hissed.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Alice, can you see her? I just wanted to know she is safe!"

"She's fine, Edward. I talked to her yesterday. Though, now I'll have to call her for not saying anything about you stalking her!"

Rosalie grinned.

"Bella! I just thought about calling you…"

"_Alice… hi… um… I know it's a lot to ask.. But do you think you could come get Edward's things? He left some of his stuff in my room…"_

Alice saw the smirk on Edward's lips. "What kind of things, Bella?" She asked.

Muffled shouting and a huff of indignant anger sounded before she heard a growl on the other end of the line. "_Tell that son of a bitch if he comes __**near **__Bella, even __**thinks **__about her in the way these pictures suggest, he's ashes. You hear me you fucking icicle?! __**ashes**_!"

"_Paul… shh… come on, give me the phone… you'll break it otherwise… hey… look at me… hi... I'm alright_." Alice heard the smile in Bella's voice and had to wonder at the sweet tone of it for a moment.

"_Are you there, Alice_?"

"I'm here, and you have everyone's attention. What's he done?"

"_You should come see this, rather than me tell you. Only you, and maybe Carlisle or Esme. The pack is riled up right now_."

Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Ten minutes. We'll see her then."

Alice relayed the message and they left.

Edward growled when Esme told him to have a seat down in the living room in front of her. This would **not **be as easy to pull off as he thought.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Edward ducked before the vase being hurled in his direction could make contact. He arched an eyebrow at Alice in question.

"You built her a **shrine**?! **Are you insane**?!" Alice screeched.

"Ali… come on darlin', calm down now." Jasper cooed.

A wave of peace washed over her and she sighed. "He built her a **shrine **Jasper! You should have **seen **some of the things he had pinned to it. It's a **wonder **we were even invited to see it at all."

"That bad huh?" Emmett whistled.

Carlisle stared at Edward before reaching into his jacket. His mind kept blank. With one button, Edward knew trouble had brewed. Major trouble. His plans would be ruined.

"You **can't**! they'll find out about Bella!" Edward hissed. He sighed in relief when Carlisle paused.

"Just picture her dead." Rosalie quipped having guessed who Carlisle intended to call. "You do that enough as it is."

Edward growled. "I'd picture **you **dead first." He sneered earning a growl from Emmett.

"**That's enough**!" Esme growled. "No more fights."

Carlisle sighed. "It's either Italy or Alaska. The wolves will be keeping a constant watch on Bella as of now."

"She's **mine**!" Edward growled.

"Don't make me choose." Carlisle warned.

Edward frowned. He'd been overenthusiastic with the pictures, he could see that now. He thought for sure Bella had appreciated the effort. He sighed. "_How long_?"

"Until Bella Swan's life is spent."

Nothing but silence met the room. Six statues stared at a seventh. They watched the anger flash over through Edward's eyes as he stared at his maker. They all turned to their coven leader and saw his pain. It had nearly destroyed him to banish Edward- his first made son.

Jasper and Emmett watched Edward pace before storming up the stairs to his room in a flurry. They were hot on his heels but by the time they pushed past the door, Edward had gone.

"Fuck me." Emmett moaned.

Downstairs, Rosalie sighed. She dialed Bella's number and relayed the message that Edward had slipped past them. She needed to be warned. She hung up just as quick as she had called. This didn't bode well for the coven or the wolves. Edward had been livid- not a good thing for a vampire to be.

"Carlisle?" Alice's voice sounded timid.

His coven gathered around him, each of them placing a hand on him as a gesture of comfort. Not even Jasper had the heart to change his emotions at the moment. He needed to grieve. One way or another, they had just lost Edward. He hadn't been willing to let go of his temptation and now the coven would suffer his loss.

(~_~_~_~_~)

Author's Note:

Ok… so a little bit vampire centered… but it says a LOT for the mental state of Edward… and just where the lines are divided in his family. He's all on his own now… slim pickings for a wolf pack… Lol.


	12. Chapter 11

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**Chapter 11**

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Six weeks felt like an eternity to Bella. She loved and hated it at the same time. She'd convinced Charlie to allow her to complete her classes online- at the suggestion of her guidance counselor- and in doing so, she'd be able to walk across the stage with her classmates. She'd even brought her GPA up from a 3.8 to a 4.0- good for the amount of times she'd been in and out of the hospital over the last two years. Now she had a week left before graduation.

She sighed and fidgeted again in her seat. A large, tanned and warm hand fell onto her good leg. "I swear you're worse than _Quil _sometimes woman! Sit **still**!"

Bella smirked. Jacob had driven her to the hospital to have her casts removed because Paul had to patrol. She'd been upset at first because she loved showing him off as her boyfriend instead of just her friend. He'd finally managed to win her over and tear down the walls around her heart. When he'd asked her out two weeks prior, she'd finally said yes.

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "You **do **know that he's related to me right?"

"_He is_?!" Another voice asked with equal parts incredulity and awe.

Bella grinned and nodded her head. "Quil's grandpa married a woman named Molly Swan. Her brother was my grandpa. That makes Quil and I second cousins or _something _like that." She said with a nod of her head.

Brady had come along for the ride and only shook his head. "Well that's news to me."

"Not to me. I knew. Quil and old Quil both have pictures of Molly all over their house. She looked like you." Jacob said with a grin.

"I wish I could have known her sometimes. I'd love to see if she's who Quil gets the loonyness from to be honest." She snickered.

"He'll get you for that, you know." Brady smirked. "I'm not like Jake. I can't turn my mind off just yet."

Bella shrugged. "Bring it. You saw what happened to Paul the last time he tried to prank me."

"Yeah… you got him a freaking wolf sized rawhide and told him to be a good boy and choke on it… Still funny by the way." Jacob snickered.

She grinned. "I thought so at least."

"At least we all know you're safe around him." Brady quipped.

"I'm looking forward to the next prank." She said with a glimmer of mischief alight in her eyes.

Jacob shook his head. "I know that look. What did you do Bella?"

She smirked. "You'll have to wait and see now won't you."

Her name was called before either of them could reply. Brady shook his head and watched as Jacob was reduced to a mere bag boy while she made her way on her crutches. Future alpha wolf indeed. He snorted again and opened the nearest magazine. Puppy was more like it.

He never saw a pair of amber eyes watching him through the glass windows.

(~_~_~_~_~_~)

"_**Paul**__! You evil, conniving, egotistical, manipulative __**dog**_!" Bella screeched.

Everyone watched as Paul's shoulders shook in quiet laughter. "You should come out here and say that to me baby girl. I **dare **you."

Bella was equal parts furious and embarrassed as she walked out of her bathroom in a towel and blue skin. She poked her head around the corner and thrust her arm out for the wolves gathered to see. Thankfully the lotion had only been applied to places that could be covered by clothing easy.

"You've turned me into a **smurf**!" Kim and Emily gasped and both smacked Paul before rushing to help Bella. A muffled shriek met their sensitive ears when the girls got into her bedroom.

"_He got me a blonde __**wig **__too?!"_

"_Hey, look… he wrote you a note… 'here's to you Smurfette.'_

"_Ohhhh I'm gonna __**kill **__him!" _The radio drowned out what was said after that. Paul still hadn't stopped laughing.

Collin arched an eyebrow. "Do we even **want **to know?" He wondered.

Paul shrugged. "She kept singing the stupid smurfs theme song over and over again the other day to piss me off so this is her payback." He grinned.

"You two have a love/ hate relationship, don't you?" Sam mused.

Jared shook his head. "That **was **kinda funny though. At least you two aren't out to hurt one another anymore."

"Too bad Jake, Quil and Embry had to miss it." Brady sighed.

"They'll see it later. The pack mind's good for something at least." Sam grinned.

Paul smirked. "I just wanna see what she's got in store for me. I saw what she told Brady. Besides, that stuff is temporary. It'll wash off in the shower."

"But she just **had **a shower…never mind… I forgot it's you. Pervert." Collin teased while shaking his head.

Emily and Kim walked back into the living room where they'd been waiting on Bella to start their movie night. It had become a new tradition now that Edward was 'on the loose.' Both girls wore wide grins on their faces but otherwise remained tight lipped. When Bella tossed a wrapped box into Paul's lap after joining them, they nearly got lost in their fit of giggles.

Paul gave them a wary look before opening the present. Inside the box was a key to her shed. He looked at Bella who crooked her finger to him. His eyes narrowed in suspicion but he none the less followed; The pack were quick to follow him- curious about his punishment.

"Go ahead." She said making a sweeping gesture with her hands.

His eyebrow twitched before he pressed the key into the lock and turned it. He peeked inside and then slammed the door shut just as quick. "Tell me you did **not**!" He huffed.

"You're the one who put **body paint **in my lotion, gave me a blonde wig and called me _Smurfette_. You tell me." She challenged.

"Come on man, what is it?" Jared wondered.

Paul closed his eyes and sighed. He shook his head in defeat for the latest round of pranks. His eyes stayed on hers as the shed door opened. The pack took one look and burst into laughter. Inside, a put together dog house- made for a larger than large breed dog- stood. It even came with a custom named dog food bowl and dish. A lamb skin blanket covered the floor with silver stitching that spelled out his name.

"_Holy hell_!" Jared gasped through his laughter.

"It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase '_in the dog house' doesn't it_." Sam mused.

Bella shrugged. "Now I'll have somewhere to put you when you get on my nerves." She grinned.

Paul smiled. "Ok, ok, you win. This round goes to you."

She preened and giggled while the pack rolled their eyes. They'd never understand the relationship Paul and Bella held. They were closer than any of the other couples because of their time spent merely being friends first. It was still a dream to Paul sometimes. He didn't think it possible that he'd imprinted on the girl and then he'd seen her and **then **his world would center on her. The two had definitely come a long way.

"Come on guys. I wanna watch the movie!" Brady huffed.

Bella chuckled and shook her head as he, Collin and Seth raced into the house. "Puppies." She quipped.

"Mmhm." Paul grinned when she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.

Paul grinned and pulled her back before she could follow everyone else through the door. When she turned to ask him why, he walked her back until she was flush with the house. His lips pressed to hers in a hungry kiss that stole her breath. He grinned into the kiss when her arms moved to wind around his neck, her fingers playing in the hair at the base of his head.

He let her go when the need for air burned both of their lungs. "I've been wanting to do that for a while now." He whispered.

She smiled and pulled him closer. "I'm not complaining."

"No.. you're not." He moved his hands down her body to the backs of her thighs then smirked when she let out a squeak of protest after her feet let the ground.

"Complaining yet?" He teased.

Her response was to nip at the underside of his jaw. "Nope." She said with a grin as she popped the 'p.'

The wolf in him rumbled in pleasure. "Careful little one." He cooed to her. "It's not wise to tease a predator."

She drew his lips to hers again in a demanding kiss. Paul again swallowed her whimpers even as their hips came into contact with one another. It wasn't too much longer before they were lost to the world around them. He couldn't deny the need to claim her much longer. He moaned and pressed himself tighter into the apex of her thighs, his body begging for a release of the tension building within him.

A throat clearing from the doorway pulled them from their lust filled bubble and had Paul growling in the back of his throat, deep and angry. Bella's fingers running along the skin at the back of his neck calmed him down as they turned to see Sam smirking at them. Bella rolled her eyes and Paul scowled.

"Can we help you?" Paul snapped.

"I didn't think you wanted Bella's neighbors calling to report indecent exposure." He said while nodding to a spot across the yard.

Bella sighed when she saw her nosy neighbor's blinds rattling as she hurried to try and hide from the eyes now riveted to the window. "I can't win for losing can I?" She growled.

Paul sucked a kiss from her neck- in definite defiance of both his alpha and Bella's neighbor- before letting her down to stand on her own two feet and shaking legs. It took her a long minute to regain her balance due to how lightheaded she felt. By the time they made it back into the living room, the movie was half over already.

The doorbell ringing had Bella groaning as she moved to stand after having just sat down on the couch. As the door opened, every wolf in the house was set on alert. The scent of bleach and burnt sugar was a tell tale sign a vampire was or had been at the front door.

Bella stared at the wrapped box on the front porch with trepidation. She'd not been waiting on a package, and to her knowledge, neither had her dad. "Paul…" She whined.

Paul stood by her side in a heartbeat. She clutched at his hand, drawing from his quiet strength to reassure her. His fingers laced through hers, his thumb running over the back of her hand in a gesture of comfort. "Shh…"

"Brady, Collin, get the girls back into the house. I'll send Quil and Embry to patrol outside with Seth. Jared, Paul, lets go… we'll meet up with Jake and see if there's anything to follow."

Bella watched from the kitchen window once she, Kim and Emily were inside the house. She hated that Edward had fallen that far into insanity. If not for him believing they were meant to be together, the guys wouldn't have all the tension they did right now. With a sigh, she excused herself to the bathroom. She'd been washing her hands when something in the bathroom window caught her eye. She moved the curtain to the side to get a better look and gasped.

She let out a shuddering breath when she saw a picture of herself and Edward- artfully photo shopped into the same frame- and a note resting in the corner of the glass pane. They were wrapped around one another with his lips to her neck. Her eyes were closed and her lips parted in pleasure. He'd seen her looking like that once before- she had a similar picture of her and Paul, only Paul's teeth weren't sunk into her skin.

_My love, you seem to have lost the pictures I left for you a month ago. There are more on your front porch in a box. This picture is to remind you of my love for you, add it to the ones that were delivered to you. Do try to save them from the fire and the mutts this time. I'll see you soon. -Edward_

The sound of glass breaking had Collin and Brady racing up the stairs two at a time. They threw the bathroom door open and found Bella huddled in the corner with a broken frame against the opposite wall. Collin moved to check on her and sighed in relief when he saw nothing broken or bleeding.

Brady read the note and frowned. "That's sick!"

"Bella, come on sweetie… Kim, Emily… come here please?" Collin yelled from the hallway.

The boys stepped back and watched the girls take over, helping Bella to her feet before walking her into her room. Brady shook his head and took the picture and the note to the kitchen sink. He pulled his Zippo from his pocket and lit the paper.

"What was with the shrine anyway? I never saw it and the guys won't think about it." Collin wondered.

"I saw it… but I got commanded not to think about it in the pack mind… it's… man it's sick. He had pictures of her doing different things with us… only he'd photo shopped himself into them instead. He went through her room to get the pictures too. Then, he laid out a wedding veil for her as well as an engagement ring. It's just so disturbing. I mean… the pictures progressed until she became a vampire as well. Paul wanted to rip him to shreds, it took Bella taking his face in her hands to get him to stop. Even then… she came up with idea to banish Edward until she was dead and gone. I think it killed Carlisle to hear… but… he's breaking the treaty otherwise."

Collin shook his head, his stomach nearly rolling with sickness. "Doesn't the pixie know what he's going to do? Can't she stop this?"

"She said her visions are dependent on peoples choices… there are ways around it. All he has to do would think about something else then keep doing what he's doing. And, no… I'm NOT defending him. Just being logical. She's as in the dark about him doing this shit as we are. I still want to tear him apart."

Before he could say anything else, the rest of the pack walked back into the house. Paul walked past them and up the stairs to Bella's room. Five minutes later, Kim and Emily were in Sam and Jared's arms. He only shook his head- _imprints_…

"Find anything?" Brady asked Sam finally.

"He got away. He took a page from Big Red's book. He stayed in the trees until he got to the cliff." He said with a sigh.

Ears turned towards the hallway when a breathy sigh was heard. Jacob only shook his head. "Should I be cruel?"

Kim's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I think it's a safe bet that movie night is over as of now." Jared said with a wry smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I didn't think it had gotten to that point just yet… then again, the way he had her pinned to the house earlier..." He too shook his head.

Emily snickered, having some idea of what had happened. "Have you all **not **seen the looks they give each other? I wouldn't be surprised if his wolf tries to claim her.."

The pack stared at her in shock. She merely shrugged. "It's the truth and before anyone asks, Sam is the alpha.. I'm his mate.. I know how the pack works. I know how an imprint works.. Those two have skirted it for so long.. The wolf was bound to get impatient."

"Bella's in for a long ride huh." Quil teased.

Seth only rolled his eyes. "Someone should stay here… As much as the wolf wants her… she's not ready."

"And you know this how?" Embry asked.

He smirked. "Because I listened to her and my mom talking when she was over the other day. They didn't know I was in my room. And I have the best hearing out of the pack. I heard. every. word."

"It's always the quiet ones." Jared grinned.

Embry and Seth both raised their eyes. "You're point?" They asked together.

Sam only sighed. "Fine.. Seth, Embry stay here. The rest of you, come on, we'll watch the movie at my place." He said. Five minutes later the house fell into a calming quiet. Seth had been right. Bella and Paul were sound asleep when Embry had gone to check on them. He only shook his head and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella sighed and opened her eyes with a small frown marring her face. The warmth at her back meant Paul had left to run patrol already. She couldn't hear her dad, meaning he'd left for work as well. She'd done the exact opposite the night before and had thrown every last disturbing picture onto her grill before torching it. When it had finished, there weren't more than ashes and she couldn't have been more glad for it.

She stretched and threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. She'd stolen it from Paul not three days earlier. She pulled the collar to her nose and inhaled deep, taking in the calming smell of him. Sandalwood, cedar, pine and something distinct only to him.

She made her way down the stairs, not noticing the opened window in her father's room. She hummed to herself as she started pulling things out for breakfast. Kim would be over soon so she wouldn't be alone on the weekend. She'd only just gotten her casts off and Charlie didn't want to chance taking her fishing, so instead he'd logged in some overtime at the station.

She never saw the figure standing in the corner. Sleep still held her mind in a slight haze- however much the hairs on the back of her neck may have been raised. She chalked it up to the slight chill in the early morning air. It wouldn't start warming up until later and she dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans and a tee shirt that was two sizes too big for her.

Taking her distraction as an opportune moment, a cloth was forced over Bella's mouth and nose. She tried to struggle, but the cloth was held tighter. It didn't take long before her world was painted black and the icy grips of unconsciousness had her falling backwards into a pair of pale arms.


	13. Chapter 12

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**Chapter 12**

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Kim frowned when she pulled into the driveway of the Swan's home. Usually, whichever wolf already present in the house would come out to greet her and let her know if Bella had woken up yet or not. She checked the time on her phone- 9:45am- and sighed. She'd only 15 minutes late and she'd even called Bella's phone to let her know. She and Bella had been having breakfast every Thursday since Jared had imprinted on her.

The closer Kim got to the front door, the louder the alarms in her head sounded. Biting her lip, she made a decision and called Jared. She knew he'd just be finishing up breakfast with Sam before they started their patrol and she only hoped she could catch him before they left.

"Hey, Kim, what's up babe?"

"Jared…" She swallowed hard when she saw the front door cracked open.

Jared instantly went on alert at the tone in her voice. "Kim… what happened? Are you ok?!" Panic started to set in as he looked at Sam across the table.

"I-I'm at b-Bella's… Jared, something's wrong…I got to her front door… it's standing open… there's no wolves..."

"Kim… listen to me… ok? Get back in your car and lock the doors. Sam and I are on the way. Do you see Seth or Embry outside anywhere?" His voice cracked as he tried to remain calm.

"No… I don't think anyone's here…" She whispered.

"I'm coming.. Talk to Emily… ok? Stay on the phone with her. I'll see you in a few minutes."

No sooner had Emily taken the phone from his hand than Jared and Sam were out the back door, stripping as they went. They phased and made quick work of the distance between them and Bella's house. They weren't sure when Quil and Jacob joined them, but they welcomed the wolves all the same.

Jared found Kim in her car still talking to Emily with quiet tears of worry and fear running down her tanned cheeks. Jared thanked Emily and hung her phone up before slipping into the car, sweeping Kim up to him. Sam motioned for Jacob and Quil to follow him inside after making sure that Kim was alright. Their noses were assaulted right away with the scent of Edward Cullen. Before Sam could stop them, Quil rushed into the living room and Jacob darted up the stairs.

Huffing, he settled on hunting down the two wolves on guard duty. He could hear Jacob cursing the fact that Bella was no where to be found, but he stopped dead when he saw Quil checking for his friends' pulse.

"Are they…" Sam couldn't bring himself to ask if they were still alive. He could barely hear their heartbeats.

"Holy shit, Sam… they've been sedated." Quil muttered. Jacob stood at his back growling at the sight.

Sam couldn't believe it. "They still shouldn't be like this!" He said nodding to the sprawled out bodies. Their positions were too unnatural. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck. They were too still.

"It would take a dose big enough for a horse or a cow to put one of us under… but to do this… he must have given them a dose big enough to take out three horses each… they feel normal… they're not hot at all." Quil whispered in shock. "_Fuck me_… the son of a bitch was out to **kill **them, Sam!"

"Find the darts!" Sam growled.

Jacob rifled around and found four darts in the kitchen trash. "He must have gotten Embry while he was still asleep… Seth must have heard the dart gun fire… maybe by the time Edward had it loaded again he had started to charge." He offered.

"Sam… they need help." Quil whined.

A growl from Jared and a squeal of fright from Kim had the three wolves outside and standing next to their brother in mere seconds. The Cullen's were there, each of them looking sullen and resigned.

"He already has her, doesn't he?"

Sam eyed them and ignored the obvious. "Where did he get the darts?"

"We heard a report this morning while we patrolled the town. Someone broke into the Forks Veterinary office.. The entire place got vandalized… drugs and money went missing as well as some horse tranquilizer darts and the gun. We put two and two together that he was likely to try and muscle way in… I never expected him to attack like this.." Carlisle sighed.

"And you, pixie, can you see her?" Jared asked.

Alice ignored the barb and nodded. "He's in an old building… a lodge of some kind. I saw him biting her at the new moon's peak. Other than that, he's not making clear decisions right now.."

"But that's tonight!" Jared hissed.

"He can't!" Jacob gasped.

Quil was horrified. "Paul… Sam, if she dies…"

Sam rubbed his hand over his face. "We don't know **what **will happen."

Jared sighed. "Someone has to tell Paul."

"I'll keep looking. Maybe Edward will give something away… some way to find him." Alice said.

Sam nodded in thanks. "Jake, Quil… try to follow the trail. We all know Bella's scent. He'll be careful with her. That means no trees."

Carlisle stepped forward then. "Take Jasper and Emmett with you. Please. They know how he fights, they can help."

Again, Sam nodded. "Fine… if I were you, I'd stay in the trees. Once Paul finds out, he's liable to see you as a threat for being what you are."

"Noted." Jasper quipped.

Jared growled in warning. Carlisle sighed. "Jasper, _please_. He's trying to offer advice. Bella is the mate of a wolf and she was stolen by a vampire. Think of how **you'd **feel if Alice had been taken by a wolf and another wolf offered to help..."

"She's still our friend!" Rosalie hissed. "I'm going to research the area for old lodges." She said before rushing off so she could hide her own grief. Carlisle and Esme watched and offered to help with the wolves before being brushed away. They left as quiet as they'd come much to Sam's relief. He turned to Kim and smiled.

"Kim, can we use your car? Seth and Embry need to be seen by Doctor Redwind. If we take them to the hospital there will be too many questions."

"Of course. Let's go." She said.

The wolves sighed and eased Seth and Embry into her back seat. Jared moved to the passenger seat and Kim moved to the back to allow Sam to drive. It took them all of fifteen minutes to cart them through the doors of the tribal clinic.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Paul growled and wrenched his front door open. He glared hard at both Collin and Brady for waking him up after only a half an hour of sleep. He'd just finished patrol and wasn't in the mood to be bothered. The two shifted from foot to foot, too afraid of his reaction to talk.

"Well?" He growled.

"There's… uh.. S-something…" Brady trailed off with a gulp, trying to find the right way to tell him his mate had been kidnapped.

"WHAT? One of you had better spit it out or so help me I'll-"

"Bella's gone!" Collin shouted.

Paul went still. "What. did you say?" He hissed.

Brady gulped. "Edward took her this morning." He whined. His wolf told him to submit before the older wolf lashed out in anger.

Paul's eyes flashed. "Where the hell were Seth and Embry?!"

"Edward pumped Seth and Embry so full of tranquilizers they're barely breathing." Brady whined.

"Jake said it looks like Embry went down first. They found two puncture wounds in his chest… Seth went next after he woke and tried to charge the leech." Collin offered in explanation.

"Are they alright?" Paul asked. His brothers had been hurt, the wolf in him needed reassurance they'd recover.

"Doc Redwind thinks they'll be ok, but he doesn't know how much of a dose the leech gave them. Quil said they were cold… their temps are normal… human normal." Brady said before biting his lip in worry.

Paul cursed. "Not only did he attack the pack- my brothers- but he stole my mate, is that right?" His voice sounded too calm- eerie even.

The two youngest pups glanced at each other. They gulped and nodded before looking back to Paul. His smirk made him look feral.

"Well then boys… it's time to go." He chimed.

"Go?"

He nodded. "It's open season and there's a bonfire with Edward's name on it. The leech won't live to see the dawn of another day." He said before phasing.

It took them a few moments before they followed along after him.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Jared and Sam paced the clinic floor. Seth and Embry hadn't woken up yet, and as far as they knew, their temperatures were still low. The elders had been informed as well as both Sue Clearwater and Tiffany call. Kim had thought ahead and called Charlie to inform him- while Bella was in the bathroom- that she'd be spending the day with her and possibly the night too. She'd forgotten her phone at home since Kim had driven them to the reservation. Charlie thanked her for the thoughtfulness and asked that Bella call him in the morning.

"Sam…"

Sam walked to the doctors side. "How are they?"

"Stable.. Finally. I've brought their temperatures back up so now it's a waiting game. They're still in a deep sleep, however. Without knowing just how much was given it's dangerous. They were nearly in a coma..."

"How long before they **do **wake up again?" Sam asked.

"A few more hours, possibly not until tonight."

"Fucking Cullen!" Jared hissed. He'd heard every word spoken.

The doctor merely nodded in agreement before leaving to check on the wolves again. Sam only sighed. He felt torn between staying and joining in the blood bath sure to come.

Billy knew what had to be done. He took one look around at the elders, each of them nodding. "Go Sam. Your pack needs you. We'll stay here with them."

"But…"

"Go." Harry nodded.

With a deep sigh, he and Jared were gone. They caught up to Paul, Collin and Brady, all of them racing to Jacob and Quil.

"_Paul, you good_?" Sam asked.

Paul growled. "_Oh, I'm good_."

"_Jake? Quil… anything_?" Jared asked.

Jacob huffed. "_They got into a car. The scent's just gone_."

Paul growled in frustration when they stopped next to Jacob and Quil. "_He's __**dead**_!" He yelled in frustration through the pack mind.

His pack corralled him before he could bolt. None of them paid any mind to Jasper or Emmett- both of them watching from the safety of the trees. Noses to fur, rumbling growls, the licking of muzzles and soft soothing nips of affection to the underside of his jaw from Collin and Brady were all used to calm the near feral wolf. Jasper had never seen anything like it. Emmett looked just as fascinated and stared in awe of the rare sight.

"_Thanks_." It was quiet, but it was no longer the wolf.

Sam leaned his ebony furred body against that of his friend. "_Don't worry about it. We'll find her. And you'll save her from the monster. And she'll save you from yourself_."

"_His family turned on him_?" Paul asked eying the vampires for the first time since he'd calmed.

Emmett, for his part, remained silent and waited for them to make the first move. He was a predator too, after all. But it just so happened that he was the wolves **only **source of prey. He respected the food chain enough to know that the wrong move would have him killed quicker than he could react to- no matter how childish he appeared- he wasn't stupid.

Jasper's phone alerted everyone to the text he'd just received. "Ali's had another vision. Bella will be awake soon. Brown walls, a single bed and a large basin- a sink."

"_That sounds like those old trapping lodges up by Neah Bay_." Quil mused.

"_Would he stay that close_?" Jared wondered.

"_Best way to hide someone is to do it in plain sight I guess_." Sam mused.

Paul sighed and sat on his haunches. "If he _had her on foot before taking her in a car, that'd only be a what… two or three hour drive_?"

"_He must have knocked her out then. Bella would have tried to leave a scent trail for us to follow otherwise_." Jacob growled.

"_We found a package of chloroform compress pads where her scent disappeared. He must have subdued her with one_." Quil reasoned.

Sam shook his coat out and growled in frustration, his paws raking at the leaf litter under him. "_He's good, but he forgot something_." He finally said after sitting down next to his pack mates.

"_What_?" Brady and Collin asked.

Paul stretched and sat beside Sam, taking comfort in the presence of his friends. "_He messed with the pack_."

Brady nudged Collin's side with his muzzle. "And _here I thought he hated us_." He quipped.

Paul's growl was sharp as he shoved him. "_You know better than that_." He reprimanded.

Brady submitted quick to the older wolf. His belly touched the ground, his tail tucked beneath him and he bared his neck. Again Jasper and Emmett watched in awe of the inner workings of the pack. Jasper was amazed at the emotions flowing so pure through each wolf: loyalty, love, respect, caution, brotherhood, determination- it was an influx and yet, it didn't disturb him in the slightest.

"_Paul is a lot of things_," Jared huffed. "_An ass mostly,"_

_"Hey!"_

"_But he's pack_!" Jacob finished.

"_And the pack is all that matters_." Paul said with a nod.

Sam sighed and phased back. He regarded the two vampires in the safety of the trees with his head canted to the side for a moment. "They won't hurt you." He finally said with a raised eyebrow and hushed tones.

Emmett snorted. "One near feral wolf says otherwise."

Sam smirked when Paul chuffed in amusement. "The lodge you said the pixie-"

"Alice!" Jasper growled. Sam arched an eyebrow.

"She's his mate." Emmett offered. "We're just as protective of ours as you are of yours." He shrugged.

"The lodge you said Alice saw… we think we know where it is… the old trapping and fur lodges outside the Makah reservation, up around Neah Bay are a good four to five hour run, but it's all we've got so far."

"I'll call Carlisle." Jasper sighed.

Emmett looked thoughtful. "That sounds like the lodges we stayed in when the last pack was here." He mused.

Paul was quick to phase back. "You know where they are?"

He shrugged. "Carlisle will know for certain."

Sam clapped Paul on the shoulder. "I'll call the elders. We're going for a hunt."

His statement was echoed by a cacophony of eager howls. If Jasper and Emmett had been alive, their blood would have chilled. It was a sound they never wanted to hear again.


	14. Chapter 13

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**Chapter 13**

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The entire pack, bar Embry and Seth, were gathered in front of the Cullen's two story cabin. Edward had told them- through Embry- that the coven had moved back to Forks, only now they resided deeper into their side of the treaty line. Seclusion wasn't a hindrance for them. Their wealth had been put to use in creating a lavish existence for themselves while living with the forest in their backyard. The pack only shook their heads and sighed. Such frivolous spending was unheard of to them- a dream never meant to pass. They stared as all but Jasper appeared in front of them.

Carlisle eyed them. "Hello. Welcome to our new home."

"Cullen." Sam said after phasing back. He said nothing else, only eyed them.

Carlisle sighed. "Have you found them?" He asked Emmett.

Emmett nodded. "You were right. His car sat beside the lodge. Jasper's still there now." He said with a nod.

"It's time to go." Sam said.

"Carlisle… I can't…" Esme said.

He smiled. "I know.. Stay here. We'll be home soon." He smiled and watched her disappear.

"_Will they kill him_?" Paul wondered.

Brady nodded. "_I think they will_."

"_If not, they need to stay the hell out of the way_." Collin huffed.

Jacob stared at his cousin with an incredulous look in his eyes.

"_Pack comes first, right_?" Collin asked him cheekily.

Quil nodded, butting in before something was said. "_Pack comes first_." He reaffirmed.

"So, we should get going. Alice had another vision, but they're not concrete. If he learns we're coming, he'll change her out of spite." With little left to motivate them, they started their hunt. Even with their supernatural abilities, it would still be a two hour run.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella moaned as she woke up with a pounding headache. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion when she tried to move her hand up to face but couldn't. Panic set in when the bleariness cleared from her eyes. The sight of wooden walls, a large sink like basin, a small wood stove and the single bed she lay on greeted her eyes.

Where the hell was she?

"Seth? Embry?" When she got no answer she frowned. Her mind was still foggy and she had a gut feeling something was wrong.

'_Come on Bella, think!_' She hissed to herself.

"Guys?" She tried to sit up, struggling some, only to realize she'd been restrained. "Guys, come on… you've had your fun, this isn't cool anymore!"

Her breath hitched when she looked down and saw a floor length, white, strapless dress all but painted onto her body. It was the same type of dress she'd been wearing in the pictures Edward had sent to her.. The ones he'd photo shopped of her to make her his bride.

It was a dream. A perverse dream. She'd wake up and Paul would have her wrapped in his arms and the pack would find them and tease them again about going soft. She closed her eyes with a silent prayer on her lips. With a count to ten, her eyes opened again before she let out a near silent groan of frustration.

She calmed herself and used what she had been taught by her dad over the years she'd stayed with him. It wouldn't do her any good to hyperventilate right now and pass out again. Her breathing started to even out and she was able to once again thing somewhat clearly. Judging by how dim the room was, it had to be either early morning or early evening. She leaned towards the later- the room was too warm for it to be early morning.

Not having much luck with visual aides, she tried audio ones instead. She frowned when that too failed her. It appeared as if the room had been sound proofed. She muttered a small curse when nothing but must, natural decay and stale air met her nose. So much for the sense of smell. Wherever she was, it wasn't a place that was used often- if ever- anymore.

The mattress beneath her back was too lumpy and the pillow under her head was near flat. it made for a grumpy kind of mood in normal situations, but this was FAR from normal- even for her. She forced herself to lay as still as possible and let her mind drift to something that would relax her. She'd have to thank Jasper for this- if she ever saw him again at least.

_Paul. _She'd think of Paul. She grinned. _That worked. _

His eyes came into focus- serious, deep brown eyes that she could lose herself in met her mind. His sharp facial features: perfect chiseled, high cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips that she loved to kiss were the next things to picture. His broad chest, strong shoulders and back, his defined stomach and arm muscles and his large hands had her biting her lip. She needed to calm down, not arouse herself. She found herself missing him the more she thought of how perfect they fit together- her soft body lining up to his hard, warm one.

She had faith he'd find her. She just had to hope he'd realize something had happened soon.

A sudden thought crossed her mind. Seth and Embry had stayed with her last night! Paul had told her they were downstairs before they'd fallen asleep. For her to be restrained now meant something had happened to them. They'd never let her go without a fight. She started to worry all over again, for them this time instead of her.

A door opening to her left offered her the silhouette of a man. A bedside lamp being switched on gave her the first look at her captor. She gasped as fear and anger warred within her.

How **dare **he?!

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Jasper watched from the trees. He'd been watching since Carlisle had told them about the lodges. His 'brother' was definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed if he thought he could get away with this alive. His eyebrow raised when he saw the bag full of blood he'd stolen it from a medical clinic somewhere. He'd heard a feint heartbeat inside, but little else. Bella was either still asleep or it meant Edward had been planning this for some time.. The entire lodge had been insulated well. He'd relayed the message to his family as he watched again.

With his mind blank, he crept closer to the window at the back of the lodge and sighed when he saw Bella, alive and starting to stir. He was grateful that he'd chosen to done his brother's clothes. It did well to mask his own scent and fool Edward in the process. Either that or Edward was too distracted by trying to cover his tracks to realized he'd been caught out just yet.

It didn't take much longer after his phone buzzed for his family to find him. "How do things look?" Emmett whispered.

"She's alive." Was the quiet reply.

Carlisle let a relieved sigh escape before the wolves glided into view minutes later. Each of them were silent as they walked, a contradiction to their massive forms. Jasper should have been worried about how close they were to his family, but he put it from his mind. He jumped from the tree and landed next to Sam.

Sam only huffed. He phased back and rolled his shoulders. "Are they in there for sure?" He asked.

Jasper nodded. "They are indeed." He said.

With their sensitive ears, the sound of Edward's voice had Paul's hackles raised and the rest of the pack growling. Even Carlisle was uneasy.

"The new moon is meant to signify a new beginning, did you know that my sweet Isabella?" Edward asked.

"_New beginning without him in it, maybe_." Quil snarked.

Bella remained silent, much to Paul's relief. It seemed she'd learned not to goad vampires.

"I must admit, I do love the stubbornness you possess. It will be interesting to see how you fair in three days time." He mused as he sat on the bed beside her.

The Cullen's hissed. Alice was horrified.

"What's in three days?" Sam asked.

Jasper sighed. "It's how long it takes to turn a person." His explanation had the wolves growling.

Inside, Bella gasped at the implications. "You're going to turn me?! Are you out of your **mind**?!"

"**hell **no!" Jacob growled. The other wolves echoing with growls of their own.

"**hush**!" Sam warned. "He'll hear us and turn her anyways."

Edward smiled and traced a finger down her jaw. "But of course, my love. Then we can finally be together."

Bella shook her head. "No! You're insane if you think I want that! I don't want you like that! I never wanted to be anything other than your friend!" She said as her struggles renewed.

"Funny thing is, Isabella, I know better. You've had dreams of a life with me. Marriage, a baby. You as a vampire. You're my singer. My chosen mate. And I **will **have you." Edward growled.

Bella's heart raced. "No! I'm the mate of a wolf! Edward, I want to go home. To my friends and family. You need to take me back!"

"Hush. That mutt won't find us until it's too late. We'll be together love, and you will stay by my side for an eternity." Edward cooed.

She cringed from his touch, wishing Paul knew where she was. She shivered when she felt his nose run along her neck. Two tears leaked from her eyes. She wasn't his. This new lease on life had showed her that. She was always meant to live, not die only to live life as a teenager forever. She'd been stupid the first time… her eyes were opened and she wanted a life with Paul now.

"Edward, don't do this. I don't want to be like you, I don't even want to be **with **you!"

"Sweet Isabella. I am sorry for the pain.. There's nothing I can do about that. But I can promise that it's a life you will learn to love."

Paul and his wolf had both had enough. Bella needed her mate. Her wolf. "_Fuck it_."

"**Paul**!" Sam growled and phased leaving behind a shower of denim as the Cullen's watched on, stunned and afraid of the pack at the moment.

The rest of the wolves followed their alpha's lead. They wanted vengeance too. Bella was an imprint. But she was a sister to them too. There was no way Edward would make it out alive.

Edward was mere seconds from biting her when Paul crashed through a window in a spray of glass and wood. He turned away from Bella to hiss at whoever had interrupted him. He smirked as the other wolves filed into the lodge, all of them growling threateningly.

"Took you mutts long enough." He sneered.

A chorus of growls was heard outside from the wolves. Their minds were curiously blank which gave Edward some pause. If Paul were human he would have smirked. The muscles beneath his fur shifted and rippled in anticipation of the fight to come. The room faded away for him then until the wolf lunged.

Edward was ill prepared for the fury that was Bella's wolf. Before he could comprehend the silence of their minds, a mass of muscle, silver colored fur and dangerous sharp teeth barreled them outside through the wall at his back. He regained his wits enough to drag his nails deep through the skin of the attacking wolf before his left arm was ripped from his body at the shoulder.

Paul didn't register the pain of the now closing wounds to his flank. His focus was on the leech who **dared **to think Bella would want him by her side when His growl of displeasure rumbled through his chest as Edward stood. Bella already had a mate.

"What's the matter mutt? Afraid you won't win? Or are you afraid that you'll lose Bella to a better man?" Edward taunted.

It didn't work the way Edward would have hoped. Paul chuffed in mild amusement. "Tick is a better description." He mused, breaking the silence for a moment.

Edward's growl was matched and raised by Paul. He lunged for the wolf only to be knocked backwards a good thirty feet. The icy hand of panic started seeping into his gut. He was nearly useless without seeing the wolf's mind. He finally noticed not just the pack, but Bella and his family watching as well.

"Carlisle! _Do something_!" Edward hissed, knocking Paul back only about ten feet or so.

Carlisle shook his head. "I can't. you chose to attack the wolves first. This is their payback. A fight of life or death."

He noticed Bella curled up against one of the wolves. "Isabella, please… talk to this one! You promised me you'd try if they came for you."

Bella turned and hid her face in the fur of the rust colored wolf at her side. A shake of her head told him she wasn't going to help him either. He looked to his family and frowned when they regarded him. In Rosalie's case, with glee. She'd promised retribution if the wolves didn't get to him first after all.

He again lunged, hoping to find a weakness, only to be thrown backwards with a small piece of his torso missing. He needed to do something quick or he'd burn.

"Ring around the rosie…" Paul taunted as they circled one another. "A pocket full of posies…"

This time when he lunged, while his nails sunk into Paul's right flank, his left thigh got gouged by the wolf's deadly claws.

Paul growled in pain before his ears swiveled, pivoting to the sound of Bella's muffled gasp. Edward saw it and smirked. He'd found the weakness he needed.

"Your taunts mean nothing mutt." He mused. He lunged for Bella only to be caught and dragged away with Paul's teeth sunk into his right ankle.

"Ashes… ashes…"

Edward hissed, trying in vain to free himself from the oppressive weight of the wolf at his back. "You're going to die mutt. One way or another."

"You first bloodsucker." Paul snarled. "Now how'd the song finish? Oh… right… we all… fall.. down." He growled before his jaws closed around Edward's neck.

The Cullen's stared at the still form of Edward as Paul phased back. It took the wolves no time at all to surround the body and use the lifeless form as a tug of war toy while Sam started a fire. Carlisle sighed and turned to watch Bella rushing into Paul's arms once he'd dressed himself.

He smiled despite the agony he felt inside at the lost of his first son.

Bella had never asked for Edward's affections however, and the wolves had every right to retaliate for the attack upon two of their pack. Watching her with her wolf- Paul- he felt peace wash over him. He motioned for his family to head home. They'd talk to the pack in the morning.

Bella turned so she could see Sam while still in Paul's embrace. "Are Seth and Embry alright?"

The pack smiled. Paul kissed the top of her head and hid his grin in her hair. Even after her own ordeal, she was more concerned about them than herself. Sam nodded. "They're alright. They're knocked out, that's all. Edward shot them with tranquilizer darts."

She nodded and smiled before pulling Paul's lips to her own. She sighed when they pulled apart. "I thought it was a dream."

He turned her and rested their foreheads together. "I did too."

"He wanted to… he said he'd… I didn't want him to do that! I don't know how he thought I would… but… I…"

"I know," He said interrupting her with a kiss. "You're mine."

She smiled and nipped the underside of his jaw. "I am."

A chorus of howls sounded from the wolves for their reunion and a job well done. They watched as the flames rose high into the air each time a new body piece was added to the fire. It had been too close tonight for all of them. This needed the celebration.

Paul's head raised to the sky. He took in Bella's scent and felt the tension wash from his skin. It had taken him nearly losing her- again- to make him see just how precious she was to him. He vowed to the spirits then and there that he'd never destroy their gift that was his little mate- he'd hold her sacred always.

"Come on guys… lets go home. We've still got to deal with the rest of the leeches…the Cullens in the morning." Sam said when the fire had been killed.

"You mean they're not leaving?" Bella wondered.

Jacob shrugged. "You're guess is as good as ours right now Bells."

Bella sighed. Sam was right. It could wait until tomorrow.

"Up for a ride?" Paul asked.

She smirked. "Are you?" She teased.

"Always, baby girl." He smirked.

She shook her head and smiled. "My wolf." She whispered when he'd phased and crouched before her. Paul only rumbled in agreement. He purred with glee at the thought of being owned by her. Not one of his brothers could bring themselves to tease him for it either.


	15. Chapter 14

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**Chapter 14**

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Bella moaned when the sun hit her eyes. It took a few minutes to remember where she was, and that she had in fact been rescued by her friends. By her wolf. Kim had informed her after they'd gotten back to the reservation that she'd talked to her dad. Bella had given her a hug and thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She'd then been pulled away to Paul's house.

It was one she'd never been to before- seeing as in her 'dream' she and Paul never got along and before Jacob phased, they didn't run in the same circles either. She had still fallen in love with it. Paul was a neat individual and it showed in his home with how clean he'd kept it. It missed a woman's touch though. HIS woman's touch- so he'd told her anyways.

She smiled when she felt a pair of thick, muscled arms wrap tighter around her waist as he started to wake from his dream. His lips on her shoulder pulled a content hum from her own lips. Turning in his arms, she was greeted with one of the few real smiles he chose to show her and a sweet kiss.

"Morning." She whispered.

Paul nuzzled her neck and inhaled her scent. "Morning." He rumbled.

She shifted closer to him, loving the feel of skin on skin. She couldn't help but giggle when he moaned. Their bodies were aligned perfect at the moment and she could feel him, hot and hard and wanting her. "What's wrong Paul?" She asked squirming more until he pinned her to him tighter.

"Tease." He muttered against the shell of her ear.

It took some convincing, but she managed to finally push him onto his back. She followed after him, straddling his hips with her hands holding her weight over him. "You like it." She said with an impish grin. Last night had been surreal… she'd been claimed by both the man and the wolf in the most pleasurable of ways, and now she acted as though they'd been together in that way for years.

His hands trailed over her bare back, feeling the satin smooth skin beneath his fingers. Those same hands ghosted over her thighs before coming to rest on her waist. "Sore?" He asked choosing to ignore her comment.

A smile curved over her lips. He was worried about her. "No." She grinned. "I just want you." She murmured against his lips before pressing a kiss to them.

He closed his eyes and moaned when she rocked her hips against his in demonstration of her wants. Pulling himself up, he took her mouth in a brutal kiss filled with lust, need and desire. By the time their lips parted, Bella was breathless and her arousal flooded his nostrils.

"Paul." Barely a whisper of his name and his self control was near lost.

His left hand crept up her thighs, closer towards her pussy. He had to smirk when he found her near soaked. "So wet already." He purred against her lips.

"Want you." She whined when he started rubbing her clit in tight circles.

Her nails dug into the skin of his chest as he helped her lower herself onto his cock. The pain was bittersweet as she started to move over him. He moaned and fell back against the mattress, one hand still on her clit, the other gliding up her torso to pinch and tease a nipple.

Bella threw her head back in pleasure as she worked herself closer to orgasm. Paul had seen her through the wolf's eyes last night when it'd been dark, but watching her now above him… she looked so beautiful. He bit his lip and moaned when a shiver of pleasure raced down his own spine, licking the flames of passion within his veins.

"Paul.." She whispered, her eyes wide with lust.

He sat up and stared into her eyes, both hands now on her waist. "That's it baby girl." He urged. His lips hovered over hers, barely touching. Even though last night had been a first for them, he knew her body. Her eyes gave her away. They'd always give her away. He knew just how close she'd gotten to crashing. "Come on, Bella."

She clung to him, her arms draped around his neck as she bucked her hips over his cock. Her eyes closed in pleasure as he filled her. "So close…" She whined, her nails digging into his skin.

"Come on baby girl… wanna feel you cum for me." He growled as his fingers found her clit yet again.

She shivered and threw her head back again. His wolf, closer to the surface now, saw the opportunity and latched onto her skin. It had been just the push she needed in order to finally fall over the edge screaming out his name. He followed her with his teeth still imbedded in her skin.

He moaned and fell backwards, dragging her with him as their breathing calmed. "My perfect little mate." He muttered against her temple.

"My wolf. My handsome, protective, sweet, amazing, perfect wolf." She returned. Her eyes focused on his and she smiled when she saw the yellow ring around the brown of his iris. She had indeed been talking to both of them.

They were nearly asleep when a loud knock sounded through the house. Paul growled and tightened his arms around Bella. He sighed when the pounding only got louder and more frequent. Even Bella moaned in annoyance.

"I'll kill them and be back in ten seconds baby girl." He promised.

She giggled. "Kay."

He threw a pair of cut offs on and stormed down the hall. Wrenching the door open, he glared when he saw Jared, Sam and Jacob standing there. "Someone had **better **be dead."

Jared and Sam grimaced. The smells of arousal, of pleasure, of satisfaction wafted to them causing them to shift from foot to foot. "No… not dead…"

Jacob snorted. He stood the farthest from the door and didn't get a chance to smell what his alpha and beta had. "Can we go in or not? We need to talk to Bella." He snapped.

"Jacob… enough." Sam grizzled.

Jared sighed. "I know what it's like Paul… trust me.. But it IS important. It can't wait."

"Paul, who is it?"

Paul sighed. "Pack's here, baby girl."

Jacob grinned until he saw her walking down the hallway in just one of Paul's old tee shirts. It was long enough that it fell to her knees, but in doing so it hung off of her shoulder as well. He growled when he saw the mark on her neck and went to lunge at Paul.

"Jacob?! _What the hell_?!" Bella shouted.

Jacob growled. "He **hurt **you!"

"Oh goodness! No.. he didn't." She huffed. "Jake, use that head of yours upstairs, NOT the one filled with testosterone. Do you think I'd let him NEAR me if he meant to hurt me? And besides, wolves can't consciously hurt their imprints!" She growled. "That's what you all keep saying at least!"

Jacob sighed and glared at Paul for another minute. Sam and Jared only shook their heads. Jacob had gone from the best friend with a crush to the best friend with a big brother- who wasn't older at all- complex. Paul only smirked and pulled Bella onto his lap.

"So what's wrong?" Bella asked when things calmed down again.

Sam sighed. "We need to talk to you about the rest of the Cullen's staying here. I know they're your friends… but…"

Bella shook her head. "Not here in Forks." She finally said.

"I thought you'd want them closer, Bells." Jacob mused.

The wolves were confused by her statement. She'd been the one to tell them the coven wasn't that bad from the start. Of course, that had been before they came back and before she'd gotten kidnapped. She'd also learned along the way that it had been a glimpse through Alice's mind that had brought Edward back at all. She'd seen Victoria attacking Bella, but then she'd seen her alright afterwards- talking with Emily.

She shrugged. "Things change. They were- ARE- some of the best friends I know. But… I have the pack now. And they're the reason you phased. I don't want to be selfish and tell them to stay when we can keep in touch other ways. There's nothing to say I can't take a day ride into Seattle sometime, or someplace closer."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Wow… you've thought about this a lot huh." He quipped.

She smiled. "Of course." She was interrupted by her phone. "Hi Alice, we've been talking about you."

"I didn't know. I wanted to ask if you could come to the treaty line. We've gathered to say goodbye… after the mess with Edward… we're leaving for a while." She said with a sigh.

Bella frowned. "You're not dropping me… are you?"

"I don't think I ever could. We'll keep watch. And I've sent you an email with our numbers."

"Ok. We'll be there as soon as I can get changed."

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella smiled when she saw Alice prancing from foot to foot at the proverbial treaty line. "Hey guys." She said moving to hug them.

Emmett wrinkled his nose. "Don't take offense, but Bella, you stink."

Paul growled. That was an insult to the wolf as well as to his mate.

Bella shook her head. "None taken. I'm sure to them you stink too."

Sam snorted, but he nodded none the less. They all did. He eyed the wolves after phasing into his human skin, telling them to behave. Paul only huffed and sat down close to Bella. Sam only rolled his eyes. Stupid males and their posturing. He'd never admit that he'd guilty of it too. His Emily was his world.

Carlisle smiled at Bella. "Thank you for showing us the compassion you have. It takes a great person to look past what's on the outside and find the beauty within others."

"I'm going to miss you, Carlisle. I'm sorry.. For the trouble I caused."

Esme shushed her then. "Don't you apologize. What Edward did… it was his own actions. I can only hope that you don't hold it against any of us." She smiled.

"Never."

Carlisle stared long and hard at the wolves before letting out a sigh. "I don't know if you'll accept it or not, but I want you to have this. A gift of parting… an apology… a way to pay you back in some way for the lives ruined." He said holding an envelope out to Sam.

His jaw dropped when Sam took the envelope and opened it to view its contents. "This… we cant… it's too much!" He spluttered.

"It's not enough." Esme told them. "But it's a start."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "I'm hear by abolishing the treaty. Forks is now your territory. Guard it well." He said with a nod of his head before he and his family left.

Sam sighed. He shoved the envelope into Jacob's hands once he had phased back. The tribe would be happy.

Jacob nearly choked. "Are they serious?!"

"What is it?" Bella asked coming to stand by Paul. He'd yet to phase back and his wolf recoiled some at the stench of leech covering his mate after all the hard work he'd gone through this morning to make her smell like them. He shook his fur out and sighed. He'd just have to do it again when he got her back into his home.

"They've opened accounts for us. These are bank statements. Every wolf has one- even you Bella. Free and clear, or so the note says. All we need to do is go get our bank cards." Jacob muttered.

"How much?" She wondered, too scared to know.

"Fifty thousand.. Each." He said with a weak voice.

Bella was floored. "Oh… wow…"

Sam sighed. "It'll be good to know that I can provide for a family. The tribe can use some of it too."

"The Cullen's already took care of the tribe." Jacob whispered.

Bella looked at him. "What do you mean Jake?"

"There's a check in here for a hundred thousand dollars to be used for the betterment of the tribe." He muttered.

The wolves were stunned speechless. Jacob moaned. "Which one of us wants to tell the elders?"

Paul snorted and sat on his haunches. He clearly wasn't volunteering. Jared shook his head and sat on his haunches as well. Sam rolled his eyes as one by one, the other wolves followed suit. Bella bit her lip and hid her snickers-barely- in Paul's fur.

"You pussies." Sam growled. "Alright… come on Jake. Bella… can you hold these while we run back?"

"Of course." She sighed as she climbed onto Paul's back.

With the Cullen's gone, a chapter of her life had closed. She wasn't sad or lost, or afraid that she'd never see them again like she had been in her dream. She was ready to face whatever came with the wolves behind her and Paul at her side.

"Hey.. Bella.. Don't forget, we're ALL gonna be there tomorrow to see you graduate." Jacob said when they'd gotten back to Paul's house.

'Shit.' She only sighed.

Maybe having a bunch of overgrown dogs to call her friends wasn't such a good thing after all. She sighed and shook her head before shutting the door in his face. She just wanted to spend more time with Paul before she had to leave to go home.


	16. Chapter 15

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**Chapter 15**

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"Beeeellllllaaa…. Oh Beeelllllaaaa…"

"Hn… g'way!"

"Come on princess… time to get up now…"

"Jacob Ephraim Black, get the **hell **out of my room **now**!"

"Looks like the kitty **does **have claws!" Quil teased

Bella growled and sat up only to sigh when she saw they weren't the only ones in her room. Since she'd graduated, they'd been in her house every day starting right from the time Charlie left for work. Said man found it amusing that they spent their summer pestering the girl, but then mused that at least she wouldn't be bored.

She sighed and shook Paul's shoulder grinning when he muttered in his sleep.

"Come on, we gotta get up baby. The idiots are here." She murmured.

Paul moaned and pulled her back down against him. He nuzzled into her neck and purred in content when she relaxed against him. He'd learned to use the pleasure she took from his lips on her skin to his advantage. He chose to ignore the snickers of his pack mates and took in Bella's scent instead.

"Come on, Paul. You can have play time later." Jared snickered.

"Go away." Paul huffed.

Sam shook his head. "Sorry… no can do."

Bella sighed. "Idunwanna! 'mwarm."

"Huh…" Jared blinked and looked to Jacob, Embry and Quil.

"Don't look at us… that's gibberish if I've ever heard it." Embry huffed.

"She said she doesn't want to move, you fuckers." Paul growled, his hands moving to pull Bella on top of him. "She's warm."

"Ugh… guys…! Don't do that! It's time to get up, you can do that later!" Jacob moaned.

Quil only shook his head. "Some wolves get allll the luck!" He griped.

Paul smirked. "But I **am **up, see?"

Jacob huffed and moved to yank the covers off of them in an effort to get them out of the bed. Sam, however, shook his head to stop him. "I wouldn't Jake. He's… Paul, we'll be downstairs… if not leaving…."

Once they closed the door, Paul wasted no time in fisting his hands into Bella's hair before crashing their lips together. "That wasn't nice, little mate." He whispered.

Bella moaned at the rough treatment as her arousal spiked. "You started it." She gasped, rolling her hips against his.

"So I did." He grinned, one hand moving down to her bare bottom. He smirked when he thought about the way he'd ripped her thong from her body the night before. Now she wore his shirt and nothing else.

"Please…" Bella whined when his fingers slipped into her wet pussy.

"You want me?" He rumbled, nipping at the mark on her neck.

"Yes!" She hissed while grinding her hips against his seeking fingers.

Paul growled and flipped them in a single move. He pulled her legs over his shoulders, smirking when she fisted her hands in her sheets.

"Gonna fuck you till you scream." He promised.

Bella gasped and arched her back in excitement. "Please."

"They're doing _that_? **Now**?!" Paul smirked when he heard Quil's voice carrying up the stairs through the door.

He felt more wolf than man at the moment. He didn't care that the pack could hear him taking his mate- even though the man in him knew it was wrong. The wolf didn't want to leave their mate disappointed. He watched Bella before thrusting into her body, moaning when he was seated completely within her tight heat.

"Man… this is so **wrong**! I'm leaving… this is sick… Bella's like my sister." Jacob whined.

Sam huffed. "I'm out too guys. You all should leave too. He's not going to take too kind to the pack hearing this... I'll see you tonight."

Paul pulled his hips back until only the head of his dick remained inside her before snapping his hips forward again. The result had been Bella's gasp and his name falling from her lips. He forgot his pack mates downstairs and focused on his mate and her needs. Her quiet mewls and the way she worried her lip trying to keep herself quiet. He ignored the other wolves, scrambling to leave the house. They didn't want to hear them.

He leaned down so that his arms were on either side of her head. Her body was nearly doubled in half as he worked his hips back and forth, deep and slow. He grinned and stared into her eyes as he teased them both, not giving either of them what they craved.

"Please.." She whined, clutching at his thighs.

"What… please what, Bella." He cooed.

"_Fuck me _damn it!" She commanded with a growl.

Bella stared into his eyes, watching them bleed into yellow as the wolf took control of the man. Their mate wanted something, and he looked only too happy to giver her what she wanted. His hips thrust faster and harder as both he and Bella kept their eyes locked on one another.

"Paul!" She whispered his name.

"That's it… come on little mate." He growled.

A shudder of pleasure rippled down her body as she dug her nails into his skin. "So close… please!"

Paul grinned. "You ready to cum, baby girl?"

Bella arched as much as she could against him, one hand reaching up to cup the back of his neck. She was nearly folded in half as she pulled him in to kiss her, but she loved how deep it drew him into her body. Her eyes widened the closer she came to her release and Paul could only watch in awe.

"Talk to me…" She whimpered.

Paul grinned. She'd told him what his voice did to her when they were cuddled up together one night. When it dropped to the octave she dubbed his '_sex voice_.'

"Gonna fuck you till you can't walk, baby girl. Fill you full of my cum." He growled in her ear.

"Then do it!" She moaned.

Paul thrust his hips harder, hitting her g-spot with every other stroke. "Cum for me, little mate. Wanna feel you fucking squeeze around my dick." He growled.

Bella bit down on her bottom lip hard before gasping when Paul's fingers found her clit. "Paul! I'm gonna… I'm… **Paul**!"

His lips laid claim to hers as he swallowed her screams of pleasure.

His hips thrust four more times before he spilled himself deep within her walls. He shivered and smirked with satisfaction before easing her thighs from his shoulders. He took the time to massage her muscles before rolling them to their sides with their foreheads touching.

"Better?" She asked.

He gave her a crooked grin before peppering her face with gentle kisses instead of giving her an answer.

"**Hey lovebirds! We're down here**!"

Bella gasped. "Please tell me they didn't hear us…" She whispered.

"You're **dead **Cameron!" Paul stopped growling when he smelled her tears. "Bella? Baby girl… what's wrong?"

"Aww… he's got a pet name for her!"

"Shut **up **Collin!" Jared hissed.

"**Both **of you shut up and get the hell out of here!" Sam growled.

"Talk to me." Paul whined.

Bella sighed. "They heard us huh?"

"I'm sorry, Bella. They heard the start of it... maybe the end too when they came back and thought it would be safe." It was his turn to sigh now.

Bella frowned and studied his face. "Paul… what's wrong?"

"You're upset. My wolf doesn't like it. I shouldn't have started that with them here… I should have made sure we were alone first..."

Bella put a finger to his lips. "I'm not upset with you. And I don't regret that they're downstairs. I'm embarrassed because I know they'll try to tease me about it." She said with a small smile.

Paul sighed. "I'll go talk to em…"

"Stay?" She asked.

A knock on her door interrupted anything Paul would have said. When they were covered, Bella asked who it was. Emily poked her head inside to tell her she'd be back later. She found out what had the boys snickering so bad. She'd had Sam order them home- **again**. Kim got a call from work asking her to come in for a couple hours and she had hauled Jared 'by the ear' to sit with her.

When they were gone, Paul made his way into the kitchen, blinking when he saw two covered plates of food- one with a noticeably larger portion. He mentally thanked Emily and Kim before carrying Bella's food up to her.

"They still here?" She asked.

"Nope. Emily and Kim left us with food, though." He grinned.

Bella smiled and arranged the pillows behind her so she could rest against them while she ate. A peaceful silenced blanketed them, each enjoying the others' company. When they were done, Paul disappeared long enough to wash, dry, put away their dishes and take a shower.

In that time, Bella had become absorbed in her thoughts. So many things were different now this time around, and she found herself so much happier. Sure, she and Paul had hated -disliked- each other in her dream, but she'd never given him a chance before either. '_Maybe he wouldn't have imprinted and we could have chosen one another if I'd have given him a chance_.' She mused.

A kiss to her lips jolted her from her thoughts. She blinked before turning confused eyes to Paul. "Huh?"

He chuckled. "Eloquent."

"Suck on a bone, mutt." She huffed, trying in vain to hide her growing smile.

"There she is. I was worried I lost ya there. I called your name about ten times before kissing you."

"Sorry." She sighed. "I'm just thinking."

"About your dream?" He wondered. He'd been trying to find a way to ask her what happened. He'd seen her do this on several occasions since Edward had been destroyed.

She smiled. "Yeah… I…"

"Tell me?"

Bella bit her lip in thought. "I don't want you to get mad and hate me."

"Is it bad?"

"Not according to Emily. She thought it was a second chance, but so much still happened."

Paul wondered if he wanted to know. His curiosity won out in the end, though if he was to admit it, he was hurt that Emily knew before any of them. "Please tell me? All of it?"

"Don't hold it against me, ok?"

"Promise." He murmured pulling her into his lap.

Bella took a deep breath. "Here goes…"

"Take your time." He cooed.

"In the dream… Edward was the one to save me from Tyler's truck. I didn't know what he was at first, just that he was different. We started this insane dance of pushing and pulling each other away before I finally figured out what he was. By that time, I'd started dating him and I'd alienated myself from everyone... including my dad."

"How'd you figure out what they were?"

She gave him a wry smile. "I flirted with Jake.. Got him to tell me the stories.. He'd been trying to scare me, but it helped me figure out just why the Cullen's were so different."

"Should I be jealous?" He teased.

Bella snorted. "No… Jake's just a friend. Always has been, always will be my best friend ever. I still feel horrid though. Even if it WAS just a dream."

"Why?"

"I used him. He had a crush on me and I took advantage of it to find out about Edward. It was wrong, but it wasn't the only time it happened."

"I'll agree to that." He nodded before kissing her temple. "So what else happened?"

"James.. I met him through the Cullens in the dream though. Baseball if you can believe that vampires like to play. He thought I was the ultimate prey… who wouldn't love the challenge of getting to a human pet protected by seven vampires?" She snorted.

Paul growled. "Not funny."

"I staged a fight with Edward in the dream… went to Arizona. James called me… said he had my mom. Promised he'd let her go if I came alone. I still got bit… and ended up in the hospital for multiple wounds."

"The other two?" Paul growled again. Just the idea of her being hurt had him on edge.

"Still happened." She sighed. "The meadow still happened. I saw the wolves for the first time there. You guys saved me from Laurent. I met you personally the next day. I went to see Jake after he'd been ignoring me.. Saw you, Sam and Jared coming towards the house and slapped you silly."

"I must have took that well." He mused.

"You didn't imprint on me. Jake saved me from you. Your wolf hated me in my dream."

Paul wrapped his arms tighter around her after hearing that. "He didn't know you." He whispered. "**Hey**! _That's _why you were so calm that day at the movie theatre! _That's _why you didn't come after him when Jake stopped talking to you! You already _knew_!" He crowed.

"Yeah… see… I went through a kind of manic depression for six months. Jake was always there… but… it didn't help in the end. I went cliff diving alone just as a storm started."

"_Holy shit _woman! Were you **nuts**?!" Paul gasped.

Bella nodded. "I was crazy, yes. Jake saved me then too. Seemed he did that a lot. That same night… Harry Clearwater died and **both **his kids phased."

Paul only stared at her. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope." She said popping the 'p.'

"Wow…"

"It threw **everyone **for a loop. No one liked her in the pack save for her brother."

"I'll bet."

"I took off to Italy after that. Alice had seen me jump, came to see me with her own eyes and said Edward would end his life after seeing it in a vision- all because he thought I'd died too. See… when they left the first time- just like they did here… it was because Jasper tried to attack me. It wasn't his fault. I got a paper cut in the house… Jasper is an empath… he felt the blood lust. A week later Edward abandoned me deep in the woods. Sam found me a day or two later… and I was a mess."

"The allure?"

"Yeah… it's why I kept Edward at arms length."

Paul sighed. "You _don't _see us or them as monsters, do you?"

"Not at all. I'm surprised you're taking this so well." She mused.

He grinned. "It's a dream. Edward's dead. The Cullen's are gone. **Besides**, it only happened in your head. At least.. The way you're explaining it now."

Bella smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Tell me what else?"

Bella thought for a minute. "The newborn battle… Seth killed Riley on a mountain top I hid on with Edward. You and the Cullens fought side by side. At the end of the battle… a rogue newborn tried to attack Leah. Jake knocked her out of the way and had his ribs and torso nearly crushed."

"So the advice about not letting them wrap their arms around you was yours.. Not Jasper's… you'd seen it before… That's how you knew…"

She nodded. "Carlisle crossed the treaty line at Billy's request. He fixed Jake, but… I broke him. I told him I'd chosen Edward. We got engaged after that."

"More of the allure controlling you?"

"Me being stupid… Edward sent Jake an invite to the wedding before I could talk to him. Jake went rogue for something like 6 weeks."

"Fucker." Paul growled. "Glad I killed him." The pack meant everything to Paul.

"Jake showed up at the wedding. I broke him again when I told him what Edward and I planned."

"He turn you?"

"Worse." She whispered.

Paul hugged her. "Tell me." He asked.

"I got pregnant."

"… What?"

She nodded. "We came back to Forks where I called Charlie and told him I'd gotten sick. Sam wanted us dead… in his eyes.. In the packs' eyes.. It was a demon."

"And Jake?"

Bella sighed. "He protected me till the end. Saw me give birth to a girl. He imprinted on her."

"Say that again?"

"Floored me too.. Anyways.. By that point, I was a vampire. The Volturi- the vampire kings- learned about my kid. It's against their laws to have an immortal child. They came to destroy the coven.."

"Did they?"

"No.. the pack fought with us…packs I should say. Jake left Sam's pack.. Took Seth, Leah and Embry too."

"But not Quil?"

"Quil imprinted on Emily's niece..."

"_Claire_?! That's sick!"

"He's seen her this time around and it didn't happen… but… yeah… the Cullen's and their friends, plus the packs killed all the vampires."

"So how'd you wake up from this dream? It sounds more like a nightmare.." Paul quipped kissing her temple.

"Years passed in that dream. My daughter's life was finally spent. Jacob followed her and I found out how poor my choices had been. I went back to Forks, trying to find that something missing.. But I was killed."

"How? By who?"

"A nomad coven. I was alone when I came back.. They saw me a threat to their perceived hunting grounds. But…"

"But…" He prompted.

"I didn't fight back. Something in me told me I'd be alright." She shrugged.

There was a pregnant pause before Paul's arms tightened around her waist. He placed a kiss to her temple, her cheek, her jaw and finally to the mark he had given her. He drew back when he smelled the salt of her tears.

"Hush, little mate. Don't mistake my silence for anger." Paul cooed. The yellow rings around his irises told her both he and his wolf talked to her.

"It was so real." She sighed.

"It might have been. But you're here now. And you're **mine**. Not that leech's, you're **mine**." Paul growled.

"I'm yours." She promised.

Another pregnant pause filled the room with a blanket of quiet as they held one another. Paul hugged her tight once more before resting his forehead against hers. Bella smiled at him and listened to his steady breaths.

"Emily was right, you know." He finally muttered.

Bella arched an eyebrow. "How?"

"This is your second chance to live. The spirits gave us **both **that option. They gave **you **life. And they gave **me**,you."


	17. Chapter 16

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**Chapter 16**

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Time crawled for Bella over the next two months of summer. She'd enrolled in Port Angeles Community College for her general studies and found it easier to adjust to college life than she'd thought. She wanted to get them done and out of the way before focusing on a teaching degree in elementary education.

The reservation was in dire need of decent teachers who cared about more than a paycheck. Bella was determined to be one of said caring teachers. She'd floored the pack when she gave old Quil, Billy and Harry hell for the lack of proper education at the tribal school. She'd turned them into simpering fools when she'd finished with them. Paul only smirked and held her as she ranted. In the end, they said she had a point and used the money 'donated' to them to buy proper equipment and books for the school.

She had good days, yes, but today wasn't one of them. It was one of the rotten ones and Bella mused that nothing worse could happen to her before it did. The truck she so loved had just spluttered and died in her driveway. She moaned and slammed her head against the steering wheel. She was late for work (Forks Learning and Development Center had offered her a job after she'd gotten her child care certifications done online over the summer) after having slept through her alarm and to top it off, she felt sick to boot- darn kids.

She huffed, sent a text message to Paul telling him what happened before her cell phone died. The charger had come unplugged from her phone and she had been planning to charge it at work. Now she'd have to go inside to tell them she couldn't come in at **all **today because she had no way to get there.

"Fuck me running! Could this day get **any **worse than it already is?!" She hissed.

She'd just come back out front after calling in to explain what had happened. The manager told her she should take it as a sick day because she sounded horrible. It was the first time she'd ever called out in the two months she'd been there, and they all loved her.

"_Bella_?" A stunned voice sounded. "_Damn _girl! You're looking good."

She was dressed in a pair of ankle boots, black pin stripe pants, and a black, drape-front slubbed tee.

"No… **now **it's worse…" She mentally counted to ten. "Hey… Mike, I thought you went away to college."

She'd been praying he would go. Before they'd graduated, after he and Jessica had split up, Mike had gotten more and more clingy. She knew he wanted to date her, but like Edward, she held him at arms length. She couldn't afford to have another clingy, possessive man in her life. Edward had been enough.

"Oh… no… I'm doing the same as you… going to the community college for my general studies before majoring in journalism." He shrugged.

"Oh… so what brings you here at… 9:00 in the morning on a Friday?" She asked checking her watch for the time.

Mike grinned. "Had to give something to your dad. Got a job at the local paper writing one article a week.. Just small stuff, mostly advice articles."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds interesting."

"Hope so." He grinned. "So… I hear you've been slumming it with the natives this past summer. You and Jacob friends again?"

Bella's guard rose. She was in no mood for an interrogation. Besides, weren't he and Jessica still dating? Why was he interested in her again? She turned a sharp eye on him. "Your **point**?"

"Hey… whoa kitty! I didn't mean anything bad by it." He hedged.

The rumble of an engine stopped anything crass from passing her lips. She grinned and ran into his arms as soon as Paul stepped out of his car. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms wound around his neck as she crashed her lips into his.

Paul grinned and held her to him. He pulled his head away just enough that he could eye her with amusement sparking in his brown irises. "What'd I do to earn that?" He asked, his lips brushing against hers.

"Missed you. Thank you for coming." She said in between kisses.

A throat cleared behind them. "_Alright _you two."

"Sorry dad." Bella grinned sliding out of Paul's arms.

"Didn't you two **just **see each other last night for a date?" He teased.

Paul grinned. "Sorry chief." He grinned when Charlie rolled his eyes.

Mike shook his head. It drove him nuts sometimes that the one girl he'd wanted, only wanted friendship from him. **First**, he'd been vying for a spot with Edward- even if she kept refusing him. **Then **it was Jacob- even if he was only a best friend. **Now**, it was the fool with his hands resting on her waist. Would he _ever _catch a break. He sighed and watched the two. He'd just have to bide his time and wait.

"So what's the verdict, Paul?" Charlie asked.

"Well… from what I can SEE, she's got a torn belt fan… hey, grab me the flashlight from my car, please baby girl?"

"Sure." Bella grinned, pulled the flashlight from the door and handed it over with a kiss to his cheek.

Mike scoffed. Didn't her dad care about the blatant PDA?

Apparently not.

Paul only smirked. It died on his lips, however, when he saw the blown head gasket. "Damn baby girl, when you do it, you do it don't you?"

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked having seen the frown.

"She's got a blown head gasket. That's not good at all. You may end up needing a new car, Bella."

"Can I drive it to Jake's so he can look at it? I love this old truck!"

"Can't drive it, but I can tow it and you can steer it." He told her.

Bella shook her head. "Nuh uh! Not it! Dad can help you with it… I won't!"

Paul and Charlie both chuckled. "Come on, Bells. I'll tow it, Paul can steer it, you can drive Paul's car behind us, ok?"

"Better!" She grinned.

Mike blinked. They'd be towing her heap of junk where again? He'd been too focused on Bella.

"Thanks for the package, Mike. I've got to run though."

"Of course, Chief Swan." Mike said with a nod.

Bella shared an amused look with her dad while Paul snorted, not trying to hide his laughter at all. Marshmallow indeed. Mike sent him a glare before turning on his heel, pouting the entire way to his car.

The cars were started, hazard lights thrown on, and Bella's truck was shifted into neutral. It took longer than the normal half hour to reach Jacob's house, but Bella was pleased that her prized possession had made it in one piece. She even went so far as to kiss and pat the hood of her truck, crooning to it.

"Boys… how's the last year of school?" Charlie asked trying to keep the smile off of his face when he saw them poking their heads out of the make shift garage door curiously.

"It's only the first week of school, Charlie. It's always easy on the first week." Quil said.

"Besides, we've gotten out early this last week. The last two days have been half days for us. Teacher is sick." What Quil said was they'd been let off early for patrol by the principal.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Poor things." She teased.

"Bells… why's the Chief **towing **your truck?" Embry asked eying her.

She gave him a dramatic sigh. "It's sick Em.. You guys are the only hope I have of fixing my baby!"

It was quiet for a grand total of a minute before they lost it. Charlie only shook his head. "Teenagers." He muttered. Even Paul snickered.

"Your old man home?" Charlie asked Jacob.

"Should be. Harry's here too."

"Good. Bella… rest. And no more kissing Paul. He'll get sick too."

Bella huffed and pouted. "Yes, dad."

Paul grinned. "Come on baby girl." He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her onto the bed of her truck while Quil climbed into the drivers seat. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her lips while he, Jacob and Embry pushed the truck into the garage.

Charlie only sighed and shook his head, amused at the boys antics before walking in through the open front door. "Hey, old man, where are you?"

"Who the hell you callin' old man, old man?" A voice seemed to boom.

"Ahh hell, heeeere we go." Another voice echoed. "What did you do now Billy?"

Charlie grinned when his two best friends came into view. "Bella's truck is on its last leg. Bella wanted Jake to take a look at it first."

"Poor truck." Billy teased.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I'd say poor Bella first. I think she'd trade Paul in for the truck if push came to shove."

"Shouldn't it be poor Paul then?" Harry mused.

The three shared a moment of silence. "Nah."

Laughs were shared before Billy led the way into the living room. "How long can you stay, Charlie. I recorded the game last night so I could watch it today."

"I called in to the station. Told 'em I'd be here till Bella's truck got fixed. So once I find out if she'll have her truck back… I'm good."

A beer was placed in Charlie's hand by Harry who had gotten up to get one for himself and Billy. The game was turned on and the three were lost in their own world while they watched the game.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

"So who's up for some wrestling?" Embry smirked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You puppies go play. I'm staying over here where I'm going to plot revenge."

"Revenge?" Jacob asked.

Bella smirked. "Oh yes… sweet blissful revenge."

"…..why?" Embry wondered.

Quil eyed her. "On who?"

"I remember someone waking me up this past summer… a pack of someone's… then they all heard something they shouldn't have…" She mused.

Paul laughed when they paled and gulped. She'd yet to get any of the pack back for their stunt over the last month of summer and all of them prayed she'd just forget about it. He pulled her to him, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "That's my girl." He murmured. "MY little mate." He whispered possessively in her ear.

Jacob eyed her. "We're exempt for fixing your truck, right?" He wondered.

"Depends on if it CAN be fixed." She mused.

It was another thirty minutes before Charlie poked his head in through the garage doors. He chuckled when he took in the scene. Paul and Bella were cuddled up on the old couch, Quil and Embry wrestled around on the floor and Jacob tinkered under the hood of the truck. "Hey boys.. how's the damage looking?"

"She's gonna need a new car." Jacob sighed.

Bella pouted. "Maaaan! I loved this old truck!"

"Sorry Bells. We tried." Quil said with a small smile.

She grinned. "It's alright. I just need to go car shopping now… thrills.."

"I'll take you. Jake can come with us too if you want." Paul said.

"You sure?" Charlie asked.

Paul nodded. "I don't have to work until later. And Jake is good with cars- better than me- so he'd be able to say for sure how long it would last."

"Alright. Keep her away from anything fast! Or brand new! I'm trusting you two to help her find something to keep her safe." Charlie teased before walking back inside to say goodbye to Billy and Harry.

"You get to be the jealous boyfriend." Quil teased after Charlie left.

Paul grinned. "No complaints." He smirked while they laughed.

"So is that what you played this morning?" Jacob teased. Paul had told them about seeing Mike eying Bella like a piece of meat on a stick.

Bella shivered and snuggled into him again. "I don't like him when he gets like that."

"I don't like him at all!" Paul griped.

"Aww… poor baby." She cooed.

Paul smirked before lifting her into his arms. "I'll show you poor baby." He murmured as he set her down on the work bench.

"HEY! Not in my garage!" Jacob whined. "Go to Paul's house!" He huffed.

"Or the woods!" Quil snickered.

Bella giggled. Her bad morning had started bleeding into a good one. She mused she'd have a good day yet. And she had her friends to thank, in large part, for it.

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Author's note:

Ok… so it's not an actual character death… but the truck could be it's own character sometimes I swear. But it had to go lol. Poor thing was just on its last leg of life.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**

There's a trigger warning in the first part of this… mentions of domestic abuse… I don't condone it at ALL. Nothing graphic, but… I still felt the need to put this here.

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**Chapter 17**

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Charlie sighed as he sat behind his desk in the station filling out police reports. So far the day had been a quiet one, for which he was thankful. Bella and Paul had been on his mind a lot lately, and the quiet and monotonous tasks like filling out paperwork gave him a chance to think about it. She spent so much time at the reservation with him and her other friends that she was hardly home anymore- not that he could complain.

A part of him still waited for her to come home crying about something Paul had done. He could still remember Paul's dad- Isaac Lahote- from his days of childhood. For a long time, Charlie feared Paul would be just like his old man. Bella had surprised him and tamed Paul in little under a year. She'd proven the age old saying that 'behind every great man is an even better woman.'

"Chief, there's someone here to see you." A voice sounded over his intercom.

Charlie sighed. "I'm on my break, Carrie. Who is it?"

"It's Harry Clearwater, sir. He said he needs to talk to you." She said.

"Alright, send him on in, thanks Carrie."

The grin fell from his face when Harry stepped through the door and closed it behind him. He was more upset than Charlie had seen him in a long time. Not since Joshua hit on Sue while they'd been dating in high school. Not since Sarah was killed and Rebecca and Rachel fled, leaving Jacob to take care of a wheel chair bound Billy.

"Harry… what's wrong?!"

Harry sighed. "My sisters coming home. She and the girls are gonna stay with me for a while."

Charlie paled some. "Everything alright?"

"She's divorcing Tommy. He got pissed last night and slapped her around in front of the girls." Harry swallowed hard. "They tried to step in and got slapped too."

"Jesus. She's leaving him then?" Charlie wondered.

Harry nodded. "She's getting a divorce, sending it up there while she stays here with the girls. Christ, Charlie they're no older than Seth. Tommy put their mom- my baby sister- in the hospital! Their neighbors called the reservation police when they heard the screams from the girls and Lizzy."

"How bad?" Charlie asked. He remembered Elizabeth's husband on their wedding day.

Once a violent drunk, _always _a violent drunk.

"Broken arm, two broken ribs, black eye, broken nose, minor concussion and a bruised cheek." Harry said with a sad sigh. "The girls just have a few bruises from being flung into various walls."

Charlie whistled. "Wow."

"This is the first time they've seen it. I know they've seen the bruises. They've called me a few times crying. Both Michael and I tried to get her to leave him. She always told everyone she could handle it. She kept saying he'd change.."

Harry… don't take this the wrong way… but… do you have the room to bring them down here?" Charlie hedged.

"We've got the air mattresses for the girls and Lizzy can have the pull out couch. It's about all I can do until Leah comes home for Christmas." He said.

"She moving to the East coast permanently? I heard she's liking school out that way…" He asked.

"No, but she's putting the rest of her things in storage to make room for the girls. By then, Lizzy will have found a place of her own. She was born on the reservation so there shouldn't be too many problems." Harry sighed.

"So what if Elizabeth were to stay with me? The girls could share Leah's bed.." Charlie offered.

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "What about Bella?"

"Bella's talking about finding her own place to stay. She's been looking for the last couple weeks. I told her I'd help her move in if she could find a place cheap enough." He shrugged.

"And if not, there's always Paul, right Charlie." Harry teased.

"Not even funny." Charlie huffed.

"I'll talk to Elizabeth and see what she says. You know she'll want Bella's approval before hand. She'd feel bad otherwise." Harry paused and eyed his friend. "You know… you should have made a move a **long **time ago my friend."

Charlie snorted and coughed to try and hide his blush. "I have **no **idea what you're talking about Harry. The only move I'm making is to help a friend in need." He grizzled.

Harry's lips twitched in amusement. "So where's Bella?" He asked changing the subject.

"Out getting a new car with Paul and Jake. The beast finally died."

Harry let out a bark of laughter. "I'm surprised she didn't hold a funeral for that thing!"

"Don't too surprised if she DOES! She'd do it just to spite the guys because she knows they'd do it if she asked." Charlie sniggered.

Harry shook his head. "She definitely channels the Raven sometimes. Those boys are in for it next month for Halloween."

Charlie only smirked. "Don't I know it."

"Thank you Charlie.. For listening. For the offer to help." Harry said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and stood. "I better go. I promised Billy I'd watch the game with him and I'm keeping you from work I'm sure."

Charlie nodded and watched Harry leave. He'd always done anything in his power to help both Billy and Harry, and they had likewise always looked out for him. Even if said friend was the older brother of the first real crush he'd ever had- even before Renee. He shook his head and closed the door, leaving him in the now still and all together too quiet room. He made his way to the desk, pulling his cell phone from the top drawer.

"Hey… Bella.. How close have you gotten to finding an apartment?"

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella stared at the phone in confusion after hanging up with her dad. She, Jacob and Paul had just sat down to eat lunch when her phone sounded. Her dad had then asked how close she'd been to finding an apartment of her own. Truth be told, she'd found the perfect place that stood closer to La Push but she had yet to tell him. She wanted to see the inside of it first, but she had a feeling she'd love it.

When she made her way back inside and sat down, both the wolves at her table eyed her with curiosity. "Dad wanted to know if I'd found my own place yet... It sounded like he's trying to kick me out in a way."

"Come on, Bells. Charlie wouldn't do that." Jacob scoffed.

Bella shrugged. "Just the way it sounded. I'll have to tell him that I did find a place, I just wanna see it yet."

"How close is it to where we are?" Paul wondered.

"Not that far. I was gonna wait to get my new car first though. One thing at a time." She said with a sigh.

Jacob shrugged. "We'll find you one. This next place is on the next block. Their selection is decent and the prices are usually fair. Besides, you won't get ripped off with Paul and me there. All Paul has to do is glare. I can flirt with the women."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Like you have any game." She teased.

"I'm shocked you have so little faith in me! I have to share head space with the likes of Jared, Quil and Paul… remember?" He sighed. "It's horrid!" They all laughed and ate their food.

Bella stopped cold in the next lot with a stupid grin on her face when she saw it sitting in front of her. Paul and Jacob eyed her with arched eyebrows. Jacob even went so far as to joke, saying she'd imprinted on her next car. Paul punched his arm but grinned none the less. Bella stared at the front end of an emerald green, 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8, complete with white racing stripes.

"Hello… how can I help you today?" A deep voice purred from her left.

Jacob grinned. "Time to be the possessive boyfriend while I claim she's my step sister?"

Paul smirked. "Oh yeah." He nodded while cracking his knuckles.

An hour later, Bella took the keys from the shaking hand of the sales associate- David- and slid behind the steering wheel of her new car. She'd baffled him when she'd offered to buy the car then and there, handing him a bank card. To his surprise, it cleared.

Glancing at her, he called the manager in, who ran her credit (another surprise from the Cullens for each of the wolves and Bella), talked to the bank manager even, and then checked her name against that of her drivers license all over again. Everything cleared. Twenty thousand dollars later, she had a car.

Paul shook his head and handed Jacob the keys to his car. "You mess my baby up, I kill you. Just remember that." He teased.

"Like I'd touch a classic like her." He scoffed.

Paul nodded. He loved his car. His Chevelle had been his first rebuild- with the help of Jake, Quil and Embry. Paul had slaved to find the parts for the car- a 1968 Chevelle SS 396. Once he found them, the boys worked to piece her back together. Now she purred just as she had the day she'd come off the line. It was one of Paul's first real loves. Now he could add Bella to the list, though he wasn't sure which one came first anymore. Wasn't a guy supposed to love his car above all others?

Try telling a wolf that.

With cajoling, Bella steered them towards the apartment. Another hour later she called her dad to tell him she'd found her place and had filled the application out already. He told her he'd give her the money for a deposit and then told her the real reason behind him wanting to know if she'd found a place.

When Bella heard about Harry's sister, she fought to not cry. No woman deserved that. No kid deserved to see that. She said she'd be moved in by the weekend, granted her application went through processing. She'd then have to come back for the security deposit and then wait for the apartment to be cleaned.

She hung up with Charlie and turned to face Jacob and Paul. "Do you think Seth knows?"

"I haven't heard any howls." Jacob said with a sad smile.

Paul shook his head. "Someone would have called by now. I would think."

"Do you think Harry would mind if I stopped by to see him? I want to let him know his sister can stay even if I don't move out of the house."

Jacob grinned. "Of course Bells. I think he'd like to know that."

Paul kissed her temple. "You're too good baby girl."

"He's a friend of the family. I always help friends in need if I can." She grinned. "Even if I do get revenge on them too." She hedged.

"Hey I **tried **to save the beast! I made up for it by finding… um… what're you gonna call this one?" Jacob asked.

Bella shrugged. "Still haven't thought of one. It'll come though."

"Come on. Let's go see Harry, then you and I have a date with your new car." Paul growled.

Bella swallowed hard while Jacob scoffed. "At least wait until I'm **out **of hearing range?"

Paul smirked, his eyes not leaving Bella's. "No promises."

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Paul grinned and killed the car engine. The old fire trails near the back of the reservation were handled smoothly by Bella's new car, even if it wasn't made for them. With the careful way Bella drove, watching for each and every small pot hole on the dirt roads, and the keen eyesight of his wolf, her car was as of yet unscathed.

"I'm kind of shocked still that you chose a car." Paul teased after Bella had laid a blanket out on the grass for them to lie on and watch the stars.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know what it was, but something called to me and I love it."

Paul stared at her with a grin forming on his face. He'd yet to tell her just how much he knew he loved her, but he'd been closing in on that point fast. He wondered how she'd take it. After all they'd been through, he only hoped she'd be happy. He couldn't stand to see her eyes so upset again.

Bella caught him staring and blinked. "What?"

"Nothing." He grinned.

She pouted. "What?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Nothing, baby girl."

"Paul! tell me?" She huffed. She fought her grin when he started kissing every inch of her skin he could reach as he tried to pacify her.

Neither of them noticed the storm clouds while they lay in their own world.

He only chuckled at her when he caught her smiling. She didn't know how adorable he thought she was when she got like that with him.

'_Whoa… whoa… wait a minute! Adorable? Hell no_!' He hissed in his head.

Paul mentally smacked himself. He even pictured himself smacking his wolf. He wasn't pussy whipped! Not by a long shot. He wasn't like Jared and Sam. He then sighed. Yes- yes he was. And he and his wolf both knew it. They'd do anything for Bella to keep her happy.

The sound of thunder cut off all conversation before the rain started. Bella cursed and both of them ran to the car just as it started to pour.

Bella sighed. "So much for the perfect ending to a long day." She pouted.

"I don't know about that baby girl." He grinned at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked turning herself to look at him.

"Come here." He grinned before pulling her across the console.

Bella moaned when their lips locked in a heated kiss. When their mouths separated due to lack of air, she gasped at the feel of his skilled lips against the column of her neck, dancing over her flesh.

Paul's nostrils flared with the scent of her arousal. "Need you." He whined moving to undo her jeans.

"Lean the seat back." She commanded.

A shiver raced down his spine as she took control. He secretly loved it. She was gorgeous like this. Her hair was wild, her eyes blazed with passion and her skin was flushed. She looked so alive.

Paul moaned when he felt he teeth graze over his nipple. She'd unbuttoned his shirt and let it hang open against his body. His eyes closed when she slid off of his body and tucked herself onto the floor board in between his legs. His hips nearly came off the seat when he felt her release his already straining cock from his jeans, only to engulf him into the heat of her mouth.

He stared down his body at her, hands moving to her hair, as she used her hands and mouth to pleasure him. Just the thought of her on her knees for him was enough to have him near bursting. To see her like this, mouth around his dick as she worked to swallow every inch of his sizable length… he swallowed and started counting backwards from 100 in Quileute.

By the time he'd reached 80, he'd had enough. He pulled her off of him and up his body, his chest heaving for air as he tried to regain his senses. "There will be time for that later. I need you, little mate." He growled.

Bella smirked. She'd done what she set out to accomplish. Paul's wolf was out to play. She shivered when he pulled her jeans from her legs. "Don't be careful with me." She pulled her shirt off leaving her in a black lace bra and thong set.

Paul smirked, moved her thong aside and guided her down onto his cock. "Oh, I don't plan to be." He purred when she was fully seated on him. He adjusted the seat so he was reclined and smirked when their eyes met. "Hold on tight."

Bella mused it'd been a good thing they'd parked on the fire trails and alone. They didn't need someone calling the reservation police on them. She rested her head on Paul's chest and sighed as they basked in the afterglow of sex.

"Bella?"

"Hm?"

Paul's hand caressed the bare skin of her back. "You know we've not had the easiest imprint…"

Bella looked at him when he trailed off, her nails drawing idle patterns over the skin of his arm. "Yeah?"

"IthinkImayloveyou." He said under his breath.

She arched an eyebrow trying to work out what had been said. "One more time?" She asked.

Paul sighed. "My wolf already loved you to start with… but the man in me… he needed the time to know you- for you."

"And?"

"I love you, ok? I jumped off the deep end, handed over my man card and fell in love with you." He sighed.

She grinned while his eyes were closed. "You make is sound like a chore." She said forcing herself to sound upset.

"Bella.. Please… I didn't mean it like it sounded I-" He stopped panicking when he saw her shoulders shaking with laugher. "Minx." He quipped.

"**Your **minx." She mused.

He nodded. "**My **minx." He echoed when her head rested back on his shoulder. His pride was bent somewhat out of shape when she didn't say anything back to him.

"Paul?"

"Hm?"

"I fell in love with you too, you know." She said after a few minutes.

Paul smirked.

It was good to be a wolf.


	19. Chapter 18

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**Chapter 18**

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Bella cursed when she heard a soft knock on her door. Who ever knocked had come over **way **too early. She put the last coat of mascara on her eyelashes before moving around her furniture to open the door. A smile graced her lips when she saw Paul standing with bags of candy and a jug of fruit punch in his hands. A bag slung over his shoulder housed the contents of his costume and when his hands were free, he greeted her with a gentle kiss.

"You're early." She teased.

"I didn't want to be hit on any longer than I had to be." He huffed.

Bella giggled. "The girl in the check out lane again?"

"Mhm. I even told the guy behind me about my hot girlfriend's party when he commented on my outfit." He huffed. "Still nothing changed. she tried no less than four times to slip me her number… she even threw it in the bag then pouted when I threw it on the floor."

Bella shook her head. "You're so wrong. But I love you for it." She grinned.

"You're gonna kill me tonight, you know." He mused eying her.

"It's not finished yet." She smirked.

Paul shook his head. "Do you need any other decorations hung?"

"Just the spider webs in the corners." She called back from her bedroom.

"K." He rifled through an open box, pulled the cottony webbing from its package and went to work hanging the webs from the corners of the walls and ceiling.

It took the two less than an hour to finish placing the decorations around the apartment as well as preparing snacks. A knock at the door had Paul answering while Bella pulled the rest of the brownies from the oven. She grinned when she turned to see Kim and Emily standing in the doorway.

"Hey guys. Wow! You two look amazing!" She grinned.

"So do you Bella! But I'm not dressed yet. The real outfit is part of Jared's punishment- and my fun later." Kim grinned.

"Thanks Bella. You look good too." Emily said with a smile ignoring Kim's innuendo with a shake of her head. "It smells good in here."

"Thanks… Paul helped with a lot of it." Bella shrugged.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding me.."

"Nope! Hey Emily… can I help you with your hair?" Bella asked when she saw her friend fussing with it. She'd just finished setting out the last of the snacks while they talked.

Emily bit her lip in thought. "I guess but… my scars-"

"Don't bug anyone who knows you. Don't worry. We'll still love you no matter what." Kim said with a grin.

"Ok… yeah." She finally grinned.

Kim smirked. "Bella, can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure. You know where it is. If you need to finish getting dressed though, you can use my room instead. Gives you more room."

"You're an angel!" She grinned.

"No… I'm a cop tonight." She quipped with a wink.

"Gonna arrest Paul later?" Kim snickered. She raced off down the hall before either Bella or Emily could say a word.

Bella shook her hand and ran a brush through Emily's hair smoothing it out before she started to work. The girls wore smiles on their faces when Kim returned, dressed in her outfit.

"Well damn woman!" Bella whistled. "Has Jared seen it yet?"

"Uh huh. And he knows he has to behave tonight if he wants anything extra." She grinned.

Bella shook her head. "Geez, you two are so bad!"

"Like _you _didn't dress up for Paul." Kim mused.

Bella smirked but refused to say anything.

"All I wanna know, Emily, is **how **you got Sam to agree to wear those god awful tights." Kim giggled.

Emily grinned and watched Sam frown as he talked to his friends. She knew they could hear them from the living room where the wolves sat. "I told him he'd sleep on the couch for a month and use his hand for the next three."

"Don't move! Poor Sam. Well… maybe." Bella huffed tugging on Emily's hair in reprimand.

"Ouch.. Ok. Ok. Are you finished yet? And it's his own fault! He could have made the boys stay gone longer. Then you wouldn't have been embarrassed." She whined.

"I can't believe you waited this long for payback though… I mean… it's a month of them waiting." Kim snorted.

Emily shrugged. "It keeps them wary. Besides… what better time than Halloween to prank someone?"

Bella only shook her head while Kim giggled some more. She finished Emily's hair and stood back to admire the fishtail braid she'd done for the girl. She grinned when Kim gushed over how gorgeous it made Emily look. Neither of the girls noticed her scars and for that Emily felt all the more confident. The gorgeous Maid Marion costume clung to her curves and fit her like a second skin.

"So what about you Bella, you gonna finish getting ready now?" Emily asked as Bella blew her own hair out of her face.

Bella grinned. "I'm good to go as soon as I put on my boots."

It would be her first Halloween party in her new apartment and she'd only invited the pack and the imprints- she could handle that couldn't she?

Jared eyed Sam as he shifted uncomfortably in his Robin Hood costume. He looked rather ridiculous in the tights. "Punishment for Bella?"

Sam nodded. "Emily still said I should have done more."

He smiled at his alpha in sympathy. At least Kim had consented to let him dress as Captain America- ironically enough- to her Black Widow. He didn't count on her buying a patent leather costume, or buying the red wig to match. He also didn't count of her telling him to keep his large paws to himself all night long.

"Kim got me with fiberglass insulation. She put a small wad of it in the dryer with all my jeans… stuff itched like hell. I ended up having to wash them again and take two more showers just to make it stop. And now she's dressed in leather and I'm not allowed to initiate contact at all." Jared griped.

Paul only shook his head and snorted. Of the three, he'd been dressed the most casual. His combat boots shined in the light, his black cargo pants- form fitting but comfortable, his tee shirt stretched over his muscles and the vest he wore- on loan from Bella's dad- rested loose over his chest. He muttered under his breath, even too low for both the wolves next to him to hear.

Sam and Jared both saw just what had Paul so upset. Bella had dressed in a pair of thigh high leather stiletto boots, fishnet stockings, black boy shorts under a black tutu, followed by a black corset and black fingerless gloves on her hands. That was it. Save for the aviators on her head, the silver hoop earrings and the handcuff necklace she wore left nothing to the imagination.

"Damn… she's TRYING to piss your wolf off, isn't she?" Jared wondered.

Paul shrugged. "I don't think she knows he's mad. She knows he's horny though, and that's just as bad."

"When's the last time you got laid bro?" Sam mused.

"A week ago? Two? Something like that." He huffed.

They shook their heads. It would be a long night. Paul sighed and moved to answer the door again. His friends felt for him. Paul and Bella barely had time to do little more than kiss one another hello or goodbye with as busy as she had been lately.

Jared's mood changed and he smirked when he saw Brady and Collin walk in through the door. "If it isn't my two favorite pups!" He grinned. He nodded when Seth followed behind them.

Brady glared. "NOT funny!"

"Oh no… you're right.. it was hilarious!" Jared teased.

Paul shook his head. "Who would have thought a wolf would be afraid of a doll…"

"I'm not afraid of them… they're creepy, that's all. They never blink, they just sit there… watching you. And it was fucked up that she got Seth to do it too! I never even smelled her!" Brady huffed.

"Come on guys! It wasn't that funny." Collin huffed.

Paul smirked. "Who's afraid of the big bad clown?"

Seth sighed. "It was somewhat mean. I'm sorry guys."

"No… that was clever. That's what it was." Sam grinned.

Brady and Collin shrugged their shoulders at Seth. "It's fine. Sam's right.. It was kind of clever to use you." Collin said while Brady grumbled.

Bella had put years of friendship to use and had gone to talk to Brady's mom and dad. They'd gone to spend time with family out of town the weekend before Halloween. When they left, Bella handed Seth a duffel bag of porcelain dolls and given him instructions to place them in the most obvious places around the house that he could find. Another bag of thirty dolls was to be placed in every uncovered inch of his room- all while Brady was on patrol.

By the time Brady had come home, he'd been too tired to notice the creepy things. After he'd gotten out of his shower, he'd shivered when he felt eyes watching him. He looked around and shook his head at the dolls. His mom and her new obsessions. It was only after his light turned on that he saw the rest of them. It took him five minutes to get from his house to Collin's house to spend the night.

Collin was another story all together. And the pack still laughed about it. Bella had waited and used Seth again while Collin was on patrol. He'd stripped the bed, taken Collin's clothes, sheets, everything masculine out of the room to be replaced with pink lace and fills. Bella had then come in and replaced the bedding with a rather large, rather pink dog bed with silver lettering.

Beside that were two large, pink bowls- one for food, the other for water- and a pink leash and collar. All of them were engraved with his baby sisters nick name for him- Colli.

If that wasn't bad enough, Seth had told Bella once that Collin was scared of clowns as a small boy. She'd gone out and gotten ten of the creepiest looking clown dolls she could find and left them lining the back of the dog bed. When Collin had returned from patrol, he'd been furious that his things were missing, until he saw the clowns. He only just started going back into his room two days before the party tonight.

Bella stood next to Paul with a smug smirk on her lips. "So…"

They refused to make eye contact. Paul would have tried to killed them if they'd challenged her. "Sorry."

"Alright. Come here…." She grinned holding out her arms. "Truce?"

They huffed but hugged her back none the less. She was still a part of the pack and out of the imprints she was the one they liked the most. Emily was often times too maternal for them, and Kim acted like the annoying big sister who loved to do nothing more than boss them around every chance she got. It was Bella who could cook, clean, rock the 'girl next door look' as well as hold her own against the wolves. She was definitely well loved by all.

Embry and his imprint Danielle were the next to arrive dressed as an Assassin and a huntress. It had just started getting dark when they rang the doorbell. Jacob and his imprint Ashleigh, dressed as pirates, followed in behind them. Paul flipped the porch light on and patted Embry on the back, leaning down to kiss Danielle's cheek- a new custom greeting for each of the imprints from the wolves- followed by a kiss to Ashleigh's cheek.

Once Elizabeth and her girls had gotten settled in, Seth had brought his cousins around to greet everyone. Right away, Jake and Embry had imprinted. Danielle and Ashleigh Kingsley were welcomed as the two newest imprints and Seth got to play the protective cousin role for all of five minutes. Embry and Jacob were still older than his wolf. They got tired of the pup trying to assert dominance quick.

After hearing just what had happened to Bella, they'd been horrified for the girl. Bella had shrugged and said that revenge would be sweet then explained that Jacob and Embry were exempt because they had tried to keep her beloved Beast alive.

Wanting to show their own support to the girl, they'd pulled her own prank on their wolves. They claimed Bella had already done a lot for their family by giving their mom a place to stay so she wouldn't have to sleep on a couch bed. Bella had tried to tell them they didn't need to, but Danielle told her it would all be in fun.

Embry ended up with a wardrobe change- nothing but skirts and dresses to fill his drawers- for all of an hour until he finally tickled the hiding spot of his clothes out of Danielle. By the time they'd come to Sam's, dinner was nearly over and Seth was ready to kill. Jacob faired no better with Ashleigh though she was more subtle in her pranks. She took a page from Paul's books and changed the color of his skin for a day or two.

The girls had definitely earned their place in the pack in Bella's eyes. When the three of them were together now, all of the wolves grew leery. They could be too sneaky when they worked together.

The doorbell rang and Quil walked in looking pale and shaky. The stench of vampire permeated around him causing his pack mates to turn and gather around him.

"What's wrong?"

"Was it just one?"

"Where was it?"

"Where were you?!"

"Did you kill it?"

"Did it get away?"

"Did anyone see you?"

"Are you hurt?"

Bella's eyes widened as question after question was flung towards Quil. "Everyone **hush**! Let the poor boy breathe!"

Paul pushed Quil towards the couch and shoved a drink into his hands. "Come on, Quil, talk to us."

"I… I… dude I **so **got you all!" He finally crowed.

Their eyes widened in shock. "Huh?" Brady asked.

Quil rolled his eyes. "I went rolling around near the Cullen's place before I came here. It still stinks to high _Heaven_. You all should have **seen **the looks on your faces."

Bella grinned. "Well played."

"Well played indeed." Sam chuckled.

"Fucker." Embry grinned. Jacob smirked and shook his head.

The rest of the night passed smooth with the pack members taking turns to pass out candy when the kids came to the door. In the time between, the pack took turns coming up with different games to be played. Spin the bottle, I never, Truth or Dare, Two Truths and a Lie, and a few others got banned after a full round from each person. The girls found out just how possessive their wolves could be in that short time, and Bella could do nothing more than giggle about it.

They took turns picking out scary movies to watch and laughed when one of the girls jumped or let out a scream. It wasn't too much longer before everyone said goodbye to Bella and headed home. When she'd waved Emily and Sam off, she closed the door and leaned her head back against it with a sigh.

Paul gathered her into his arms and carried her to bed. He stripped her and then stripped his own clothes off his large frame before collapsing them both onto the mattress. He gathered Bella to him and sighed when she settled herself against his side. Now that they were alone, his wolf started to calm down some. It had taken all he could to not put on another display like the one that had started Bella's pranks.

"Paul?"

"Hm?"

Bella smiled. "Thanks for helping me tonight." She said before kissing his chest.

"You're welcome." Paul said before kissing her temple. "Now go to sleep. You need it. I'll wake you up in the morning."

Bella grinned. "Night."

A kiss to the crown of her head was all the response she registered before sleep claimed her.


	20. Chapter 19

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**Chapter 19**

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From Halloween to Thanksgiving then into Christmas, Bella and the wolves had stayed busy. Leah had come home, throwing a wrench into the well flowing engine of the packs' lives when they'd had to spend Christmas eve with the girl at Harry's place. She was family to Danielle, Ashleigh and Seth, even Emily- whom she looked less than pleased to see- and a friend to others even if she didn't want to see them. It had nearly killed them all with worry, until they'd seen her walking in holding the hand of a native man she introduced as her boyfriend.

Sam had swallowed down the irrational jealously he felt and played the part of a polite and well tamed man. Declan Ward was not someone who seemed intimidated easy and in fact, if looks were to be gone by, he could have been a shifter from his pack. Paul was the first to figure it out after Sam had made his suspicions known and after dinner, while Leah talked to her parents, the pack met the real Declan- a white and grey covered wolf nearly as massive in height and bulk as Sam.

The pack mused that at least he could take care of Leah. She'd be able to come home if she wanted, but she told her parents that she would more than likely be staying with Declan after graduation. They smiled and told her they understood. Too much had happened on the reservation that Leah wanted to forget. She told them the East coast wasn't that bad, and she liked the was sunshine.

Now that the holidays had passed, Bella had fallen back into a routine- work, school, pack, family- in that order. That was until her new neighbors moved in next door. Bella sighed and looked at the clock. 7:00 am- Saturday morning and the young couple had already started fighting. Wasn't that enough proof that they needed to break up or separate or divorce? Something! Anything to stop the shouts and accusations from flowing through the walls and into Bella's apartment.

She debated calling her dad but thought better of it. That would mean she'd have to wake up completely first, which would mean getting out of bed to look for her phone that she'd forgotten to put near her bed the previous night. She only tried to drown out the words being thrown back and forth with her head under her pillow. Ten minutes later she sighed as the shouting died down with the slamming of a door. It was back to sleep for another hour before she'd have to wake up and run errands. She'd gotten low on food and when she had wolves coming in and out of her apartment it could be bad.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Bella arched an eyebrow when she looked down at her phone as she stepped out of the grocery store. Thirteen text messages, two dozen or so missed calls and thirteen voice-mails- one from each of the boys and the imprints. Huh. The pack knew she had errands to run, what could be **that **important that they'd want to bug her today?

She called Paul back first.

"Baby girl! Where are you?! Are you alright?!"

"Hello to you too, Paul. I'm fine. I'm on my way home…"

Paul exhaled slow. "Thank the spirits! Sam… she's alright… yeah right now."

Bella blinked in confusion as she loaded the groceries from her cart to her car. "Paul, what's wrong? Why did you sound so scared? Where **are **you?!"

The phone was taken from Paul's hands by Sam. "Bella… hey it's Sam. Listen… we were on our way to the apartment this morning when we saw an entire row of cops and fire trucks. From what I could hear, something happened to your apartment building. I guess your neighbors got into it again."

"Sam… is everyone alright?" She asked, guilt beginning to build in her gut. If something had happened to either of them, she would hate herself. She could have done something about it instead of going back to sleep.

"I think they're ok… but…"

"But what?"

Sam sighed. "They caused a fire… in their apartment… I think she threw a vase or something at him… the water started an electrical fire… instead of trying to stop it they both took off running."

"How bad…?" Bella swallowed hard.

"How far are you from home? Your dad's house I mean…"

Bella was in near tears of both anger and frustration. "How. Bad. Sam?"

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry Bella, but you can't go back. We're all here at Charlie's place right now. He was just about to go to the hospital to look for you."

Bella moaned. "Alright. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Just… tell my dad to stop panicking. And let him know that I have a fire proof safe that I kept all my valuable stuff in… I'm going to need it."

True to her word, fifteen minutes later, Bella was engulfed in Paul's arms. She rolled her eyes and looked pleadingly at Sam, who shook his head and pulled him away to let Bella breathe some. Charlie smiled before taking the cold groceries from her trunk to place in his fridge. He didn't want them to spoil.

"So how bad was it dad?" She asked.

Charlie shook his head. "It wasn't good, that's for sure. Both your neighbors are alright, but the apartments aren't livable anymore. I phoned the fire chief… he's instructed his boys to gather your safe for you so you won't have to climb through the rubble. Other than that, I can't tell you anything… I'm sorry Bells."

Bella was floored when Brady showed her the pictures that he'd taken with his cell phone. Her entire floor was lit up with flames. She couldn't believe that it was all just.. Gone. Not that she had much, but it was still enough that she felt lost. She didn't notice the silent tears running down her face until she felt Paul brushing them away.

"It'll be alright." He promised.

She sighed. "I know… it's just stuff… but… it was mine. My first home… all to myself."

Charlie smiled and walked over to hug her. "I've got to go to the station. The apartment owners are there. I want to see if they want to press arson charges or not. How about we go out to the diner tonight?"

Bella nodded. "Sure dad. That sounds good."

Paul pulled her back to him, her back to his chest as they watched Charlie drive away. "You've got clothes at my place you know."

"I know. You had things at my place too. I'm sorry they got burned."

Paul shrugged. "They're just clothes Bella."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just move in with Paul. It'll save a lot of hassle. It's closer to your job too."

"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Paul grinned.

"You're not even going to ask me?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Paul smirked. "I'm asking you now, Bella. Come live with me."

"Only for a while." She sighed.

He turned her to look at him and stared down at her with his hands resting on her waist. "Why not forever?"

"Do you want me forever?" She wondered.

She refused to look at him as she asked. She loved him, but she wanted to make sure he wanted her with him. She still had some lingering doubts sometimes; Not many, but some. She was average to his godlike status. The looks she'd endured from other women when they were seen together was enough to have her rolling her eyes in disdain.

Paul smiled down at her and used a finger to tilt her chin to him. "I want you in my life until the day I die. The _wolf _wanted you first. But **I **want you here with me too. For the rest of our lives." He whispered.

At their backs, Brady and Collin gagged. Jacob only shook his head. She'd changed him. Of course, he could still be volatile and dangerous where her safety was concerned. But they'd **all **seen the change in his demeanor. He was more responsible now.. Tame even, if they wanted a word to describe him.

Bella grinned and looked up at him with a secretive grin. "How fast can we back at our place?" She wondered.

"I didn't drive baby. I came over here with Sam." He told her frowning.

Bella smirked. She dangled her keys in front of his face and gave him a look that promised amazing things if he drove back. Paul threw the pack a lazy '_bye' _over his shoulder and grabbed the keys from Bella's hands. Embry snorted as they passed him and didn't even bother answering. Quiet he may have been… stupid he was not. He'd seen the looks they'd given one another. He knew exactly what would happen- for the rest of the night.

Jacob canted his head to the side when they were gone. "She's gonna miss dinner, isn't she?"

Embry snorted. "You telling me you'd give up christening every inch of your place with Ashleigh if you had the chance?"

"**Hey**!" Seth growled.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Seth, you know I didn't mean anything bad by it. And she's Jake's imprint. He's not going to hurt her."

Seth sighed. "She's still my cousin. I don't wanna hear about it. Same for you and Danni." He whined.

Both Jacob and Embry smirked. "Deal."

Sam's laughter caught the pack's attention. They hadn't noticed Quil walking up to them before they'd started teasing Seth. With raised eyebrows, they waited for Sam to settle.

"I wouldn't go by Paul's anytime soon. Quil just saw Bella having fun in the car." Sam sighed.

"You're kidding me?!" Jacob was floored. "Where the hell did my sweet and innocent friend go?"

"Was she all that sweet and innocent? She hung out with us…" Embry reminded him.

"True.. Do I even wanna know what she did?" he wondered.

Quil shook his head. "Put it this way… don't let her near Ashleigh or Danielle with lollipops and don't let her teach them about driving a stick shift."

Sam sighed. "Come on guys. Lets go get the safe for Bella. We can drop it off to her tomorrow."

"Do we even want to GO over there tomorrow?" Jared wondered.

They all shared a look and shivered at the same time. Bella's pranks were just not worth it.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Paul moaned as he looked down his body to watch Bella's lips wrap around the head of his weeping cock teasing him before she took him all the way into her mouth. Paul's head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes tight. The entire ride home she'd teased him, head in his lap with his jeans unbuttoned. Now that she was able, she'd finished teasing him.

He grasped at the sheets as she took her time to send him close to the edge and back off again. She watched him through her eyelashes as he gasped and growled, one of his hands fisting into her hair in a desperate attempt to end the torture, yet keep her there at the same time. She took her time, taking him inch by inch down her throat before using her throat muscles to swallow around him. Her name spilled from his lips like a prayer as he finally crashed over the wall of seductive torture.

She took everything he offered, making sure to swallow it all before kissing her way up his body, stopping to lavish attention to his nipples. By the time she got to his neck, pausing to nip and suck at one particular sensitive spot, Paul's spent dick showed signs of life again.

"Damn, Bella. You're gonna be the death of me." He moaned when she rolled their hips together.

"Yeah, but just think… what a way to go.." She giggled.

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Death by orgasm huh…"

"Would it be better to have my mouth around you, or be deep inside me when you went, I wonder." Bella's giggle turned into a surprised squeal when Paul flipped them. His hand trailed down her body until his fingers could rub over her clit.

Paul moaned "Fuck your mouth drives me crazy babe. I want you to get off for me. Please baby girl. I wanna hear you scream my name while you cum with my cock buried deep inside that delicious pussy of yours." His voice was husky and Bella came to the conclusion that Paul's voice, used in that tone, sounded nothing but sensual and erotic.

"What's the matter baby girl? What do you want?" He asked running his nose along her jaw bone.

Bella gasped, her head moving so she could meet his searching lips in a kiss. "Paul… I want you!"

He grinned. "You have me."

"Fuck me… please.. Don't tease me." She whined.

"Nuh uh… cum for me first. Cum on baby girl… scream for me." He growled. "My name, little mate." He commanded, his voice husky as he whispered in her ear.

Bella's back arched off the bed. The deep seated lust mixed with Paul's voice was enough to create a blanket of sexual tension that washed away the control in her body. With those few choice words, she was pushed closer to the edge of bliss, falling over it while crying out his name as her nails dug into his back.

He gathered her boneless mass of a body to him and cooed in her ear. "Hey baby… you ok?" His lips pressed a gentle kiss to her temple when she nodded.

"Yeah… feel fucking amazing too!" She grinned.

"You were so sexy. I've never been more turned on while I watched you." He purred.

Bella kissed his neck. "You have NO idea what your voice did. That's what sent me over, I love listening to you." She straddled his waist, her lips against his.

"I'll have to remember that." He said pulling her to him only to roll her on her back. His lips traveled down her jaw, teasing kisses from her skin as he made his way back to her lips to claim a sweet kiss from them.

"I want you." Bella whispered.

"Then you'll have me." He moaned as he entered her pussy in a single well aimed thrust. "Hard and fast or slow and easy?"

"Fuck if I care at the moment. Please… I need you." She moaned in response.

Paul grinned. "You are so submissive. My wolf loves it, I can't lie." He purred thrusting into her body. "The wolf and I BOTH love it, baby girl." He muttered pulling out before just entering her body again.

The slow push and pull of Paul's dick was torture on Bella's already frazzled nerves. "Please!" Her nails raked down his back hard enough to raise welts in the skin.

"Please what, babe. Tell me what you want me to do." His voice was liquid bliss against her skin.

"Faster… please… harder! Something!" Bella whimpered. "I want you to make me come."

Paul's lips found the pulse point in her neck, right over his mark, as his hips increased in rhythm. The groans and mewls of near overwhelming pleasure were increased with the pace of their joined hips. As his thrusts increased in speed, so they did in depth as well, causing her body to arch against him.

The coil of seductive bliss tightened for both Bella and Paul the faster and harder the thrusting of their hips became. With a shuddering gasp, his name fell from her lips as she clenched around him in seductive pleasure. He followed her over the edge, his arms shaking in an effort to not squish the gorgeous creature beneath him.

Pulling her body close to his, Paul laid a chaste kiss to her temple. "You're amazing." He whispered.

"Nuh uh."

"Sleep, baby girl. You're gonna need it." He hushed.

Bella didn't even answer as her eyes closed to the world around her. She was content in Paul's arms, knowing he'd keep her safe. A quiet hum was all she gave him when he whispered he loved her before the sandman lulled them both into slumbers awaiting arms.


	21. Chapter 20

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**Chapter 20**

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Bella sighed and looked at the numbers of the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table. 5am. She was wide awake on a Friday morning at 5am. She didn't have to be out the door until 9am. She was awake two hours too early. She huffed and tried to remember just what had woken her up before her stomach churned again. Ah. Now she remembered.

With a groan she raced to her bathroom just in time to empty the contents of said stomach into the toilet bowl. A gentle pair of hands pulled her hair back from her face as soothing words were whispered into her ear. She'd been like this for little more than a week now and she hated it. She'd come home tired in the middle of the day, she'd been forgetting simple things, and worst of all was the inability to hold down even the simplest of meals.

"Come on baby girl. Back to bed. I'm calling your boss ok?" Paul said once her teeth were brushed and her face had been cleaned.

Bella didn't even bother trying to argue. She handed over her phone, pulled the covers over herself and was back to sleep before her head even hit the pillow. With her boss called, the lights all turned back off and Bella tucked back into bed, Paul only shook his head and climbed back into bed with her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He loved and hated being a wolf sometimes. Common colds didn't affect him like they did his little mate. He only prayed that it would leave soon. He didn't like seeing her suffer.

Two hours later, the alarm clock went off, startling Bella from her sleep. She cursed and slammed her hand down on the annoying thing threatening to send it across the room if it didn't hush. Five minutes later in a form of protest from the brave piece of technology, it sounded again. Bella rolled her eyes at the annoying thing and turned it off with a smug smirk on her lips. She dared it to sound again only to hear a chuckle from the doorway.

"Are you always like this with electronics?" Paul wondered.

Bella sat up and shrugged. "Only the ones that bug me." She huffed.

"I'll have to remember that. Here… I made you breakfast." He said coming into the room with a plate of hash browns, eggs and toast."

Bella took one whiff of the eggs on her fork and whined when her stomach rolled. She made a mad dash for the bathroom and moaned just before throwing up again. A shiver raced down her back when she was finished.

"You ok?" Paul asked moving her hair from her face.

"No… I hate being sick. I hate that you're forced to take care of me and I **hate **that I need to be taken care of like this!" She huffed before scrubbing her teeth again.

Paul shook his head. "I don't. well I hate that you're sick, but I don't mind taking care of you. The wolf doesn't either. If he had **his **way you'd never leave the bedroom again." He said with a shrug.

A chuckle escaped from her lips as Bella made her way back to bed. "Is that so?" She mused.

Paul nodded. "I don't mind taking care of you, Bella." He reaffirmed again.

"Even so, I'm making an appointment with my doctor. I want to know what's going on with me." She sighed.

A knock on the door revealed Seth wearing a grin on his face. "Hey guys. Sam sent me to grab you. Emily's feeling better and made breakfast this morning- holy hell, Bella you look like shit!" He crowed when he saw her sitting on the couch.

A growl from Paul had Seth apologizing. "I didn't mean that in a bad way… but are you sick?"

"_Better_, pup." Paul grizzled.

Bella sighed. "Yeah… I'm not feeling well at all."

"Up for some company? Sam wants to do a pack meeting but you're not feeling well… Paul, think we could have it here?" Paul huffed, reluctant to have his mate upset.

"What's the meeting for Seth?" Bella wondered.

"I think Jake's stepping up as alpha." Seth shrugged.

Paul fell quiet and raised his eyebrow. Bella closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for her stomach to stop rolling. Neither of them noticed as Seth canted his head to the side while Paul phoned Sam and Emily and offered to let them all come over with a warning that Bella had come down with the flu so it would have to be just the wolves. Seth listened closer and heard the fluttering again coming from Bella. Her heartbeat sounded so quick... Then again, she was sick.

"What's wrong, Seth?" Bella asked with closed eyes.

He merely blinked. "Huh?"

"You're staring at me. I can feel it." She mused.

He shook his head. "Nuh uh. Well, maybe. Have you been to the doctor yet?"

"No… I told Paul I need to make an appointment today. I've been like this for a couple weeks now. It's either time for some antibiotics or a flu shot." She said with a sigh.

"Here baby girl." Paul said offering her a mug of steaming liquid.

Seth recognized the smell and grinned. "Someone's been talking to Old Quil, huh."

"What is it?" She wondered.

Paul glared at Seth and kissed the top of Bella's head. "It's chamomile tea babe. It'll help."

Bella smiled and took a sip, taking a minute to savor the fresh flavor of the drink. "It's good."

"It'll help." Seth said with a nod.

Paul sighed and opened the door for the rest of the pack to enter. Bella was already curled up with her head on the arm rest of the couch, her eyes closed and her breath deep and even. The wolves smiled at her, each of them brushing a hand over her arm- their wolves way of assessing just how bad she was. When they were satisfied, Paul picked her up into his arms, carried her back to his bed and closed the door behind him. He then made her appointment for her after scrolling through her contacts in her phone.

Sam only shook his head at his friend. Paul had changed for the better with Bella's help.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

"Isabella Swan?"

Paul shook Bella awake in the waiting room. "Baby, they called your name."

Bella stood and held her hand out for Paul. She grinned at the shocked look on his face. "You get to hear how sick I am too."

The nurse smiled and held the door open for the couple. "How are you today, Ms. Swan?"

"Does feeling like I've been hit by a train, a bus, a tractor and then dropped from a plane count as ok?" Bella quipped.

The nurse- Allura- smiled. "Step over to the scales for me please."

Paul turned his head and looked away, knowing how most women felt about their weight. He noticed the nurse smiling and even caught the smile that danced over Bella's lips as well.

"Ok. If you'll follow me, we'll get you settled so I can get your vitals. Why are we here today, Ms. Swan?" She asked when Bella was seated on the bench indicated.

"I've been sick for the past two weeks or so now. But for the past week I've had trouble keeping any kind of food down, much less liquids. I've also been burning some high fevers if my boyfriend is to be believed." Bella sighed.

"Ok… if you can raise your left arm for me?" She asked slipping the blood pressure cuff onto her arm. "It'll only be tight for a minute."

Bella sighed and rested her head on Paul's shoulder when he moved to stand beside her. "Hm… it's high, but overall not too bad."

Allura ran through the rest of Bella's vitals and paused when she came to the last question. "When was the date of your last menstrual cycle?"

Bella frowned. When HAD her last period been? She was on birth control which regulated her periods to one every three months instead of one every month, but she was religious about taking them. "I don't remember. I'm on birth control…"

Allura smiled and nodded. "Do you think there's a possibility you're pregnant?"

Bella was quick to shake her head. "I don't… I… no… I don't think so."

Paul bit his lip and eyed her. There were tears in her eyes like she already knew the answer. And judging by the knowing look in the nurses eyes, she thought the same thing. "Can she take a test here?"

Bella eyed him, afraid of what he must have been thinking. "If I can, I'd like to, just to be safe."

Allura smiled. "Of course. I'll get you a cup. We can test your urine."

With that she was out of the room, leaving Bella and Paul to the quiet.

"Are you not happy about it?" Paul asked finally. "I heard your heartbeat increase... like you were scared."

She smiled wryly. "I didn't think you wanted kids yet. So much has happened… I just… I don't know when… I've been so careful."

Paul gathered her into his arms and kissed her head. "We'll take it a day at a time, ok?"

"You sure?"

"Positive."

A knock on the door had Allura leading Bella to the bathroom. She handed her a cup, told her what to do and left to wait for the sample. When Bella was back in the room, the door was closed again and Bella was in Paul's arms.

The wait seemed to take forever as the clock ticking away above the door lulled Bella into a somewhat peaceful nap. A soft knock on the door revealed the smiling face of her doctor. "So, Ms. Swan. I hear you're sick. What's going on with you?"

She sighed and told him her symptoms, explaining that she thought she had the flu. While she was right about that and given a prescription for antibiotics, both she and Paul were floored when she was told that yes, she was indeed pregnant. And judging that her last period was meant to be in December and it neared the end of February now, she was two months pregnant. It would put her baby being born in September if they'd calculated right.

Bella chanced a look to Paul who sat grinning wide. He and the wolf were thrilled that she was pregnant. "Can we not tell the guys yet?" She asked when they were in Paul's car.

"Sure… but um… I have to phase with them… remember?" Paul asked.

"I'll talk to Sam. Maybe he can alpha order you to not think about it until we find out everything for sure." She said.

Paul took her hand in his, kissing her fingers. "I think… I'm positive that I love you Bella."

She giggled at that. "I'm positive I love you too, Paul."

She parroted as he allowed himself to cradle her still flat stomach. His wolf purred in content. Their mate had their pup growing in her belly. He'd be a father in little under seven more months.

(~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~)

Their news was blown out of the water two weeks later after Bella started feeling better. Emily had invited her over to spend time with the rest of the pack, telling her that she wasn't to lift a finger since she'd been still recovering. The pack had just walked in when Seth called for complete and total silence.

"What IS that?" He asked canting his head to the side.

Paul cursed the young wolfs amazing hearing, forgetting that he had the most sensitive ears in the pack. "What's what?" He asked, trying to play it off with an arched eyebrow.

"You guys don't hear it? Listen hard… it's like… humming bird wings…" Seth pondered.

Bella's eyes widened and she moved a few blankets over her body when Seth neared her. His head canted again when he stopped in front of her. "May I?"

Bella arched an eyebrow when Seth asked her to stand and he dropped to his knees in front of her. He put his ear to her chest and frowned. He ignored Paul's growling and moved his ear lower to rest against her stomach. His eyes widened when he looked up at her, shock written over his face.

"It's you…"

Bella smiled and held her hand out for Paul. He was only to happy to pull Bella away and lay his hands protectively over her belly. The other imprints caught on quick, squealing and kissing her cheeks. She smiled and leaned back against Paul, their secret now blown.

Sam clapped Paul on the shoulder, relieved that the order he'd placed on him would no longer affect either of them. "They wanted to wait." He explained.

Seth moved to stand in front of the two. "I'm sorry guys."

Paul grinned. "Don't sweat it, pup. I forgot about your damn ears."

"Yeah… they're good for something I guess." He grinned.

They spent the rest of the night planning baby showers, talking about clothes, things to buy and adding on to Paul's house. It was Jared however, who floored them.

"So who's telling Charlie?" He teased.


	22. Epilogue

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**Epilogue**

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*18 years later*

Bella sighed and stood in the doorway of her oldest son's room. She could hardly believe that he'd be leaving for college soon. She looked around his room and smiled wistfully. So many memories were held in the walls. First words, first steps, first cuts, first games, first sleep over- ironic enough it had been Nathan Cameron born just three months after her Caleb- and first music lessons with the electric guitar her boy so loved.

They were followed by Levi Uley and -after Nathan's sister Gabrielle was born- Bella's twins, Wyatt and Aaron all born two years later, the house was never quiet. Caleb had had his first kiss sitting on the end of his bed too with Gabrielle- whom he still dated. Jared had wanted to kill him, but Bella soothed the old wolf with the help of Kim. Paul had told him it could always be worse then took Jared out for a beer.

Through raising three boys- plus whichever of the packs' kids were in her house- and her daughter, earning her degree in teaching, then finding a job at the tribal school like she had warned the elders she would, Bella had flourished. She loved the pack, their kids, her own, and she loved teaching. She was an asset to the school, and a favorite among the students. And at home, while she and Paul still had their little spats, they were still as much in love as the day the finally confessed it one another.

Caleb turned to see his mom standing in near tears. He shook his head, gave her his dad's crooked smile and pulled her into a hug. He was a carbon copy of Paul- save for Bella's eyes and the lighter skin tone. "It's just Seattle, mom. I'm not leaving clear across the country." He promised.

Bella sighed. "I know… but… you're my baby boy no matter how old you get."

"_Mom_." Caleb rolled his eyes. "I'm 18...I'm **not **a baby anymore!" He whined.

A deep chuckle behind them made the two aware of Paul's presence. "Don't you know by now, your mom's always going to think of you as her baby boy." He teased wrapping his arms around his wife. "Same way your Grandpa Charlie thought of Bella as his baby girl."

"I still can't believe he shot you…" Caleb said shaking his head.

Paul shrugged. "He had his reasons. I took something special from his life."

Bella only rolled her eyes.

To say he was livid when Charlie found out Bella was pregnant was an understatement if there ever was one. It was also how he found out about the pack. His shot gun proudly sat on display on his mantle near the tuft of fur that had been attached to Paul's flank before the buckshot had hit him after that. That had been another surprise.

Paul had taken Bella to the court house four days after Charlie found out about the pack, sat down in front of the justice of the peace and asked her to become his wife. Paul worked and slaved to give her the dream wedding she'd always wanted. Once their last child- his sweet little girl- had been placed in his arms, he promised it to her. And he'd given it too her too. It was all the more special because that was the year her father lost his life to a drunk driver on the road three months after he'd given his baby girl away.

Footsteps running in the stairs turned their attention to the doorway where a brown haired, brown eyes younger version of Charlie Swan stood. "Hey, Caleb… can I have your room?!" Wyatt grinned.

"No… I promised it to 'Kenzii already. Sorry." Caleb smirked.

"Aww! Man! Not fair! You've got the biggest room out of all of us!" He huffed.

"'Kenzii's gonna miss me most. You and Aaron will be too busy chasing after the girls." Caleb grinned.

"Better not be!" Bella glared.

Paul grinned. His twins were definitely ladies men. He'd say one thing though. They all loved Makenzii.

Makenzii Nicole Lahote was the most spoiled little girl in the Lahote household seeing as she was the ONLY little girl. Her brothers doted on her, defended her, protected her, and more times than not, picked on her as well. She had Paul wrapped around her little finger, and Bella loved that she helped to clean and cook- something her son's learned but barely put to use.

"Caleb… Nate's here!" Makenzii yelled.

"Speaking of…" Bella grinned.

They turned to see Makenzii racing Nathan up the stairs, grinning when she reached the top step first. "I win! Again!"

"You cheated munchkin!" Nathan grinned. "Hey, Mr. Lahote. Mrs. Lahote."

"Hello Nathan. I take it you're all packed and your mom's crying?" Paul grinned when Nathan rolled his eyes and nodded.

Bella smacked his chest. "I'll go see Kim. **Don't **destroy my house."

"Yes ma'am." Paul grinned watching her walk away.

Even after all the years… Bella was still gorgeous to him. Fiery… temperamental, protective, loyal, kind and sassy. The list went on for all the things he thought of his wife. He'd built their house from the ground up with the help of the pack, and together he, Sam and Jared had opened their own construction company- further helping the reservation find it's own slice of glory in the world.

"Dad? You ok?"

Paul turned to Caleb and smiled. "Just thinking. The house is gonna be quiet without you here… You're taking that monstrosity with you, right?" He quipped eyeing his sons electric guitar.

Caleb and Nathan smirked. "Of course. Nate has his too. I think his dad is just as relieved as you are!"

"It's just a bunch of noise." Paul said with a smirk at their indignant huffs.

"Where ya at Paul?!" A new voice called.

Paul rolled his eyes. The pack was still as close as they ever had been even if none of them phased anymore. There hadn't been a need. Paul shook his head and leaned over the banister to see Sam and Jacob. Their kids -Sam's little girl, Samantha who was 13, and Jacob's twin girls Sarah and Elizabeth who were also 13- raced up the steps before skipping into Makenzii's room with barely a hello thrown over their shoulder to Caleb and Nathan. It pleased them just fine.

"Caleb? You here?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Of all the girls on the reservation… it had to be MY sister." He huffed. He was ignored as Caleb bounded down the stairs to gather Gabrielle into his arms.

Paul clapped Nathan on the shoulder and grinned. "It could always have been worse." He said before moving down the stairs as well.

Sam grinned and clapped Paul on the shoulder when he appeared downstairs, the two of them walking out back to greet the rest of the pack and their kids. Embry and Danielle were there with their boys- Bentley and Zachary already talking to Jacob.

Quil and his wife, Kaylee stood talking to Emily and Kim while his kids- Alexia and "VI" or Jr. sat around the fire pit the pack had built. Seth and his wife Savannah had just come through the back gate with their twins Noel and Harry. Those two… 14 years old and nothing but opposites. Noel was an angel compared to Harry.

Brady was there with his wife Natalie swinging his son, BJ off of his arm. BJ, or Brady Joseph (Sometimes called Jr.) was only 8 and was the youngest of all the kids. It never bothered him, and he loved all the attention he got because of it. His older sisters, Jennifer and Bethany always found ways to torture him when their parents weren't looking- and always got caught afterwards too. If being cute could get him away from them, he was all for it.

Paul looked up to see Collin and his wife, Catelynn walking through the back gate with their kids, Cassidy and Jason in tow. Jason was the second youngest of the kids and Cassidy was only 11, though she was too smart for her age. She'd already been bumped up a grade level and had Bella tutoring her on the weekends to ensure that she did well.

Looking out into his back yard, he sighed. The entire pack was here. Their kids, their wives… his lawn looked nearly full. It was only missing…

"Where's Aaron?" He asked as he came to stand next to Sam.

"_Aaron Michel Lahote_! You get down here **right now **young man!" Bella hissed.

The entire pack shivered. Aaron was Wyatt's younger twin by five minutes, but he had inherited his mother's mischievous side and spent a lot of time in the presence of his uncles Embry and Seth. They weren't related by blood, but they were similar. Paul moaned when he saw Aaron on top of the neighbors roof waving Alexia Ateara's bathing suit bottoms in the air.

"Paul! **Do **something!" Bella growled.

He sighed and shook his head, trying to contain his amusement. Now wasn't the time to laugh. "Get down here, Aaron! Now."

Paul looked away as Alexia started shrieking. He felt a person to his back and looked over his shoulder to his oldest. "You **sure **you don't want to stay?"

Caleb sighed and looked out across his back yard. His friends- his family- had been the greatest part of his life thus far. Now that he'd be leaving it all, there was a pang of sadness threatening to fill him. He couldn't help but feel pride in these people around him now. Each of them knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. They were like an extended family that he had come to love and respect.

"You know dad…. I think I want to leave… but I want to come back. This is home. Always will be." He grinned.

"Always will be." Nathan mimicked beside them, agreeing completely.

He'd already planned his return, hoping to teach along side Bella. She was the one who had told them that there wasn't anything to hold them back but the fear they placed in themselves. She was the one who had encouraged all of the 'pups' to find something to do with their lives that they loved.

It so happened that Caleb and Nathan both loved the guitar and music.

Sometimes she'd been the only one to support them when they first learned, but she'd also pushed them to master it. If he could half as good a teacher as she was, he'd have done something with his life.

He and Caleb laughed when Aaron finally climbed down from the roof to face their irate mother, only to be smacked across the face by Alexia after giving back her bikini bottoms. The pack exploded with laughter at that. It was, after all, how Paul and Bella go their start.

It all happened with a slap.

While their road held twists and turns and jagged rocks across its path, the only thing they always had- that they knew they could rely on- was each other.

Their family.


	23. Author's Note

I just want to take the time to say thank you to everyone who has liked/ favorited and followed this story! If you've been with me since I started posting, or if you found it when I finally finished it and still took the time to read it, I want to let you know I appreciate all the feedback I've gotten from it!

I also want to take the time now to thank all of you who have nominated this story for the Non Cannon Awards! It's an awesome feeling and I really appreciate that you all think it's that well done :D


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